Indigenous students and leaders are rallying behind a University of Arizona student who spoke out against the university’s recent changes to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the face of mounting pressure from the Trump administration.
Jacquelyn Francisco, an Indigenous law student at the university, recently criticized UA in social media posts for removing the phrase “committed to diversity and inclusion” from its land acknowledgment. She again spoke out during a tribal leaders summit on the UA campus Feb. 19, where tribal students and leaders say she was “physically obstructed” by UA staff “in an attempt to silence her.”
University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella left the summit before Francisco spoke. Following his exit, she called him out for leaving.
“The president has just left. Our promise was to meet him. We are having broken promises,” she said to the summit’s attendees.
Garimella did not immediately respond to an email from Arizona Luminaria about the university’s DEI and land acknowledgment changes and the incident involving Francisco.
The university has recently scrubbed terms related to diversity and inclusion from its website, including its entire webpage for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, though the fate of the office remains unclear. Francisco brought the changes to light in a public post on LinkedIn that had garnered more than 100 reactions and 35 reposts as of Friday.
A land acknowledgment is a formal statement recognizing Indigenous people as the original inhabitants of the land as a way to honor Indigenous people and foster a better understanding of their cultures and history.
The university’s changes come after the Education Department, in a memo Feb. 14, gave schools and universities two weeks to eliminate diversity initiatives or risk losing federal money. The memo is an extension of President Donald Trump’s executive order banning DEI programs within the federal government. Critics of DEI initiatives say it threatens merit-based opportunities while supporters say they are necessary to ensure fairness.
Student-led organizations O’odham Students and Allies and Voices of Indigenous Concerns in Education posted a statement on social media about the incident with Francisco on Wednesday. They described how two UA administrators “physically obstructed and put their hands on Francisco, the Native and Indigenous Law Student Association President, in an attempt to silence her.”
The statement was also sent to Tribal and legislative leaders around the state.
The video shows two women talking heatedly with Francisco and tugging at a piece of paper in her hands. One of the women can be heard saying “you’re not speaking” moments before Francisco moves away from the women to address tribal and UA leaders.
“When Native students were encouraged to share their experiences, this student stepped forward — only to be met with force. To students, this sends a clear message: when Native students speak, they will be silenced,” the statement says. “Now we have to fear that if we share our experiences and struggles as college students it will result in our silencing and being pushed out of spaces while being labeled angry, disrespectful and othered.”
Shifting federal requirements
In an email sent to the University of Arizona community on Feb. 18 with the subject line “Sustaining our Excellence, Navigating Change,” Garimella acknowledged the changing federal landscape.
“As a public institution, we will also continue to adhere to all applicable laws at the local, state and federal levels. We are taking a proactive approach toward ensuring compliance with new policies and procedures that will impact higher education institutions in the coming weeks and months. This includes creating an inventory of our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)-related programs, jobs and activities, and assessing the impact on the university community.”
Francisco in her social media post claimed the university’s change to its land acknowledgment was made quietly and without the consultation of Tribal Nations, which the university worked collaboratively with to craft ahead of its unveiling in 2021.
“Does this mean everything I stand for, including a commitment to diversity and inclusion, can be erased without my knowledge, consultation or consent?” she wrote. “Does this signal that I will be omitted one day despite being a member of one of Arizona’s 22 federally recognized tribes?”
“This change was made without transparency and without consideration for the Indigenous students and communities it directly affects,” she continued. “A land acknowledgment should not be subject to silent revision or political convenience.”
Francisco, who identified herself at the summit as Navajo and Jicarilla Apache, has called on the university to restore its original land acknowledgment. “Being committed to diversity and inclusion means standing by those words, not erasing them,” she wrote on social media.
Francisco and the Native and Indigenous Law Students Association were not immediately available to comment, telling an Arizona Luminaria reporter they were “prioritizing healing and supporting our community.”
“I acknowledge the uncertainty, questions and concerns raised by some members of our community. I want to assure you of two things regarding our mission and our values. First, these changes and our efforts to understand them do not change our commitment to our land-grant mission as one of America’s leading research institutions. We are and will remain committed to the work you do every day, to the success of our students, and to the impact we have on our state and the world,” Garimella wrote in the email earlier in the week. “Second, we will continue to uphold our university commitment to fostering a campus environment where everyone can thrive as we advance our academic, research and service missions.”
“On the land and territories of Indigenous peoples”
Before the change, the university’s land acknowledgment read: “We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O’odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships and community service.”
The Wayback Machine – an organization that periodically saves snapshots of websites to preserve the internet’s history – last captured the university’s webpage for its Office of Diversity and Inclusion and its original land acknowledgment on Jan. 15. It’s unclear how often the Wayback Machine captures snapshots.
Now, the university’s webpage for the office is gone and the words “committed to diversity and inclusion” are missing from its Land Acknowledgment. It appears a video related to its original land acknowledgment was also removed.
Seven employees were listed as members of the team on the Office of Diversity and Inclusion webpage prior to its removal and their titles in the employee directory remained unchanged as of Friday.
A UA spokesperson has not immediately responded to inquiries from Arizona Luminaria about its DEI changes and the incident involving Francisco.
In August, the university announced ahead of the school year that its incoming students were the largest and most diverse class in UA history.
“The University of Arizona community is proud to welcome the largest and most diverse class in university history,” former UA President Robert Robbins said in a news release at the time. “These accomplished students exemplify the academic rigor, determination and spirit of exploration that makes this university so great.”
Clarification: This story was updated to reflect that the statement from student-led organizations was sent to Tribal leaders around the state.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print.
