Statement of solidarity with the staff of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House

The Program on the Environment stands in solidarity with the staff of UW’s Intellectual house and the entire Native American community at the University of Washington, whose wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House was recently vandalized for the third time in almost as many days. While it is easy to dismiss this vandalism as a randomly smashed window or just a few rocks thrown, we see these utterly inexcusable and cowardly acts as reminders of the long and ongoing history of violence faced by our Native American community in a settler colonial society. We appreciate the generosity with which our Native American community and the staff of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House have continued to actively enrich our campus community, in spite of continued acts of aggression against them. We express our support for the staff and student workers at wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House, and we strongly condemn all ongoing acts of oppression and violence against them, as we strive to be good neighbors on these Coast Salish lands and waters.