Brown University recently finalized the transfer of 255 acres of its land to a Native American tribe.
The land in Bristol, Rhode Island, is now in a preservation trust established by the Pokanoket Indian Tribe, the Associated Press (AP) reported Monday, noting that tribes and Native peoples of the region can now access the area:
The land is the ancestral home of Metacom — also known as King Philip — the leader of the Pokanoket people. It’s also the site of his 1676 death during King Philip’s War, a bloody conflict between tribes and European settlers.
In August 2017, members of the tribe and their supporters set up an encampment at the university, saying the land was illegally taken from them hundreds of years ago.
The school later reached an agreement saying the land historically belongs to the Pokanoket.
According to the tribe’s website, “Prior to European colonization, the Pokanoket were the leadership of the tribal groups that make up the modern-day Wampanoag.”
Images show members of the tribe walking onto the land, per WPRI:
“Russell Carey, executive vice president for planning and policy at Brown, said the university’s goal remains the preservation of the land along with sustainable access by Native tribes with ties to its historic sites,” the AP article read.
In July 2023, Breitbart News reported that several Native American tribes whose ancestors sold over 94,000 acres of land to make room for the University of Minnesota, wanted reparations from the school:
Even though such universities have tens of millions of dollars at their disposal, they are not trying to use the funds to improve the lives of Native Americans, alleged An Garagiola, a descendant of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa.
“Yet their existence as institutions, as schools of learning, are only there today because of everything that was taken,” Garagiola added.
Readers can click here to read more articles about Brown University.