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Syracuse University has a rich but controversial history, especially with the Saltine Warrior as its former mascot. At that time, derogatory mascots were commonplace across the country, and though the university somewhat acknowledges its past, I doubt that many students even know that SU had a different mascot besides Otto the Orange.

The city of Syracuse, more specifically SU, has a very unique relationship with the Onondaga Nation, but it’s not strong enough. SU takes a performative approach to how it publicly displays its relationship with the Onondaga Nation and its people, such as reciting a land acknowledgement before every major event on campus. It feels like an overly contrived and slightly insincere virtue signal, straying from what should be its main goal: promoting positive and meaningful Native American sentiments on campus.

This isn’t to say that the university has done everything wrong with its relationship with the people of Onondaga Nation. The presence of the Haudenosaunee flag in the dome and outside Hendricks Chapel, the Saltine Warrior statue outside of Carnegie Library and the plaque dedicated to the Onondaga Nation next to the Shaffer Art Building are really important symbols to have on display at a baseline level. But if you are not in the quad area of campus, there are very few mentions of Indigenous Peoples and their impact on SU and the greater Syracuse community.

SU must break its pattern of simply acknowledging that the university is built on Onondaga Nation’s land. Instead, the university should take real steps to prove that they believe Indigenous lives are worth their genuine respect and consideration through every decision they make. In the future, the university should dip into the school’s history, offer more classes about the Onondaga Nation and create opportunities for student engagement within the Onondaga Nation. It would provide the SU community and residents of central New York an opportunity to better understand the people whose land they live on.

The university must end “traditions” that do nothing more than signal virtue and make people feel better about themselves and the institutions they affiliate with. SU should lean more into embracing their ties to the Onondaga Nation, with their guidance and blessing.

Dalton Baxter is a junior applied data analytics major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at dwbaxter@syr.edu.

Published on October 25, 2022 at 10:42 pm