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Home My WebLink About03-16-2023 Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission - Cancelled no quorumAd Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission Agenda Thursday, March 16, 2023, 7 PM Emma J. Harvat Hall City Hall 410 E. Washington Street In order to encourage input from the public, the Commission intends to offer the opportunity to participate in the meeting remotely. However, this meeting is in -person, and those wishing to ensure their ability to participate should attend the meeting in person. If you instead wish to participate remotely, you may attempt to do so by joining the below link. Please note that the meeting link and ID for the first Thursday of each month is different than the link and ID for the third Thursday of each month. First Thursday Meetings httl)s://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN cMlaaV6cTxGw0IWu2-hFHg I D: 867 2424 8095 Third Thursday Meetings https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN ICII811PSRo1uOXPIL-1Ew ID: 895 3695 0485 If you have no computer or smartphone, or a computer without a microphone, you can call in by phone by dialing (312) 626-6799 and entering the meeting ID when prompted. Meeting Agenda: 1. CALLTOORDER 2. READING OF NATIVE AMERICAN LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 3. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES FROM MARCH 2, 2023 4. PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA (TRC MEMBERS SHALL NOT ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION WITH THE PUBLIC CONCERNING SAID ITEMS) 5. FACILITATOR SERVICES UPATE 6. CORRESPONDENCE 7. FOLLOW UP AND PROGRESS ON ICCSD RE: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PERFORMANCE INCIDENT 8. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS/STAFF (TRC MEMBERS SHALL NOT ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION WITH ONE ANOTHER CONCERNING SAID ANNOUNCEMENTS) 9. ADJOURNMENT MEETING PACKET CONTENTS: 1. NATIVE AMERICAN LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT 2. DRAFT MEETING MINUTES (MARCH 2, 2023) If you will need a disability -related accommodation to participate in this meeting please contact the Equity Director, Stefanie Bowers, at 319-356-5022 or at stefanie-bowers@fowa- city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your accessibility needs. Native American land Acknowledgement Prepared for the City of Iowa City's Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Human Rights Commission PURPOSE Iowa City owes its existence to the many Indigenous Peoples who were the original stewards of this land and who were subjected to manipulation and violence by non-native settlers, invaders, and governments in order to make this moment possible. Acknowledgement of this truth is central to our work toward reconciliation across all barriers of difference and injustice. Starting with a Native American Land Acknowledgement, this Commission will bear witness to the legacies of violent displacement, migration, and settlement that have marginalized those who were the first inhabitants of this land. We must also address the mistreatment and exclusion that Native Americans continue to face today. The Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Human Rights Commission encourage the community and City of Iowa City to join us in these efforts through the use of a Native American Land Acknowledgement. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT To be read at all public meetings and events: "We meet today in the community of Iowa City, which now occupies the homelands of Native American Nations to whom we owe our commitment and dedication. The area of Iowa City was within the homelands of the Iowa, Meskwaki, and Sauk, and because history is complex and time goes far back beyond memory, we also acknowledge the ancient connections of many other Indigenous Peoples here. The history of broken treaties and forced removal that dispossessed Indigenous Peoples of their homelands was and is an act of colonization and genocide that we can not erase. We implore the Iowa City community to commit to understanding and addressing these injustices as we work toward equity, restoration, and reparations." LEARN MORE Native Governance Center Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement US Department of Arts and Culture: Honor Native Land Virtual Resources and Guide Meskwaki Nation - History Special thanks to the University of Iowa Native American Council for their work and guidance, as well as members of the public, for their input. March 2, 2023 Draft Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Minutes Emma J. Harvat Hall, City Hall Commissioners present: Chastity Dillard, Sikowis Nobiss (on Zoom), Wangui Gathua, Marie Krebs, Lauren Merritt, Kevo Rivera, Eric Harris (on Zoom). Commissioners absent: Mohamed Traore, Clif Johnson. Staff present: Stefanie Bowers, Eric Goers. Community members who spoke at the meeting: Representatives from University of Iowa Student Government including, the city liaison would like the opportunity to talk about the work of the TRC and just keep conversations going between the two groups. Recommendation to City Council: No. Meeting called to order: 7:07 pm. Reading of Native American Land Acknowledgement: Merritt read the Land Acknowledgement Approval of Minutes from February 2, 2023: Merritt moved, and Rivera seconded. Motion passed 7-0. ICCSD Elementary School Performance Incident: Krebs met with the Equity Committee on March 1. School staff reported that they will be holding a series of professional development trainings for educators. School staff also reported that the book "Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years" will be supplied to staff. As a part of this discussion, TRC members would like to have a talk with the city on how they can abolish Columbus Day. Facilitator Services Proposal: City Attorney Eric Goers went over the four draft agreements with commissioners. The discussion included what information the city still needed from the facilitators which primarily relates to compensation. The facilitators have been reviewing the draft agreements and plan to get the financial figures to the city within the next few days. Goers also spoke briefly on the concern that when persons begin to come forward to tell their "truths" that there is a possibility of exposure to the city from defamation claims. Books and Materials Sent by Divided Communities: This item will be discussed at the next meeting date of the TRC. Gathua has found the materials to be extremely helpful for her service as a commissioner. Andre Wright Proposal: The TRC would like to be come up with a formal process by which local organizations can request financial support from them. Like the grants on racial equity that are reviewed by the Human Rights Commission. This led to a larger talk on spaces that they could hold future meetings, spaces that are felt to be safe. Correspondence: No discussion or activity took place under this agenda item Commission Announcements: Krebs mentioned the 29 anti-LGBTQ+ pieces of legislation currently being considered at the state capital. Dillard invited everyone to the Pheasant Ridge Women's History Month Open House being held on March 24 from 6-8 PM. Nobiss and Great Plains Action Society will be recognized on March 8 at the Night of 1000 Dinners. Rivera noted to be mindful of the numerous religious and cultural commemorations occurring over the next few months. Gathua will be traveling to Kenya in the fall of 2023 and is requesting hygiene products and shoes to take to the youth there. Adjourned: 9:16 PM. City Board and Commission meetings are recorded and can be viewed in their entirety by visiting this link. �n x N R N O N 7 K N N a N N N N N N N N N N L-1 F' W A Community Reading of Martin Luther King's "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" Fifty-six years later, on April 4, 2023 TUESDAY, April 4, 2023. 10AM to 5 PM Outside, at the Iowa City Ped Mall, Fountain Area (In case of inclement weather, event will be in Meeting Room D, Iowa City Public Library) Martin Luther King delivered his most controversial speech on April 4, 1967. One year later, on April 4, 1968, he was assassinated in Memphis. Come read with us his 1967 Speech, and excerpts from his last speech on April 3, 1968, " I've Been to the Mountaintop". Free and open to the public. Come listen, or read a portion. The presentation will be repeated 8 times. Come and go as you wish. (vfp161. org) Chapter #161 Sponsored by Veterans For Peace Eastern Iowa