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Syracuse University students and officials, who are spearheading the construction of a new art installation on campus to honor the Onondaga Nation, expect to finalize the project’s design and location in the next few months.

The art installation, which will be designed by artist and muralist Brandon Lazore of the Onondaga Nation, is part of the university’s response to Indigenous students’ concerns about the visibility of Indigenous people on campus. SU was built on land belonging to the Onondaga Nation. 

As of now, the working group is primarily considering the green space in front of the Shaffer Art Building for the installation’s final site, said Maris Jacobs. Jacobs, an SU graduate and former president of Indigenous Students at Syracuse, is on the working group leading the art installation.

“The area we’re looking at is in front of Shaffer, on the way to the Quad from the Life Sciences building,” Jacobs said. “There’s a little bit of a green space there, and we really wanted it to have a central location, somewhere with high traffic, where it could be seen from afar.” 

Jacobs said she is satisfied with the progress SU has made toward breaking ground on the project, and the group expects the final size, design, location and construction timeline for the installation to be settled this summer. The group is still working with Lazore, who did not respond to a request for comment, to confirm its final design and dimension, Jacobs said.

“The project is exciting and getting closer to completion,” said Regina Jones, assistant director in the Office of Multicultural Affairs’ Native Student Program, in an email to The Daily Orange.

The art installation is part of SU’s response to a series of concerns and demands Indigenous students submitted in fall 2019 following a series of hate crimes and bias incidents on and near campus. Of the seven commitments to Indigenous students listed on SU’s website, four are marked as substantially complete. 

Those remaining in progress include better acknowledging SU’s presence on Onondaga Nation land, expanding Native American and Indigenous curriculum and hiring Indigenous faculty and staff. 

In February, SU posted job openings for a new faculty position in Native American and Indigenous Studies as part of a cluster hire initiative centering around energy and the environment. SU’s Cluster Hires Initiative recruits groups of faculty from different disciplines and research backgrounds to work in “clusters” centered around a specific topic. 

SU’s Campus Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion website states that the Barnes Center at The Arch has hired an Indigenous-identifying counselor at the Barnes Center. SU also posted an opening in February for a 12-month, part-time Indigenous healer to work at the Barnes Center supporting students’ “mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health through the use of traditional healing practices.” 

Ionah Scully, a doctoral student in SU’s School of Education, and Cree Métis of the Michel First Nation, said it is unclear how close SU is to filling these positions. 

“We do know there are two candidates that the search committee likes,” Scully said. “We just don’t know if the university is committed to hiring them.”

As for the art installation, Maris said the group wants Lazore’s artwork to be the focus of the project. They are also considering adding a seating area around the final product. 

The group also wants the installation to be large in scale and visible from a distance, with a plaque that explains its meaning and purpose. 

“It’s going to be something that’s eye-catching,” Jacobs said. “I think it’s going to be a staple. It sounds to me like something iconic that will be on the Quad for a long time, hopefully forever.”

Published on May 12, 2021 at 9:24 pm

Contact Chris: cjhippen@syr.edu