By Milan Budhathoki
The Morrill Reckoning, one of the latest items added to the BTAA Geoportal, is a project sponsored by University of Maryland Libraries. It was created and fulfilled as part of a certificate practicum requirement by Dr. Lisa Carney in Master in Library Information Science program (2023). This showcase is in line with UMD's commitment to promoting Indigenous knowledge, advancing decolonization efforts, and fostering restorative justice. The initiative is made possible through a 2022-2023 Teaching and Learning Program Grant, "Decolonizing Education to meet the Demands of Climate Change," led by Patricia Kosco Cossard at UMD Libraries and co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
The Morrill Reckoning, one of the latest items added to the BTAA Geoportal, is a project sponsored by University of Maryland Libraries. It was created and fulfilled as part of a certificate practicum requirement by Dr. Lisa Carney in Master in Library Information Science program (2023). This showcase is in line with UMD's commitment to promoting Indigenous knowledge, advancing decolonization efforts, and fostering restorative justice. The initiative is made possible through a 2022-2023 Teaching and Learning Program Grant, "Decolonizing Education to meet the Demands of Climate Change," led by Patricia Kosco Cossard at UMD Libraries and co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Picture 1: Altered image of the Morrill Act of 1862 highlighting the words "public land."
This web based Morrill Reckoning exhibit documents the process by which land of over 30 Native American nations was forcibly expropriated and sold to fund the endowment of Maryland's flagship university, by means of the Morrill Act of 1862. The author collected data from different sources including data from the Land-Grab Universities project coupled with archival documents and GIS maps to show the paper trail of dispossession and the geographic impact on tribal nations.
Picture 2: Location of each federally-recognized nation whose land was transferred to Maryland. An entry for the Piscataway-Conoy, recognized by the state of Maryland, is also included.
Dr. Carney created the site after being inspired by a webinar with the authors of the Land-Grab Universities project that was hosted at the UMD. During the webinar, the authors, Robert Lee and Tristan Ahtone, invited the audience to utilize their data for local projects. Driven by this inspiration, her goal was to establish a resource that could contribute to a sustained, community-wide reckoning. Dr. Carney said, "this is an exhibit about an ongoing issue, not a bygone historical event. These Native nations continue cultivating their communities while treaty promises remain unfulfilled and university endowments still accrue interest from the initial sales proceeds."UMD Libraries issued a press release to announce the Morrill Reckoning exhibit in honor of Native American Heritage Month. Here is the full press release.