HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda TRC 6 16 2022
Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission Agenda
Thursday, June 16, 2022, 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.
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ID: 867 2424 8095
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ID: 895 3695 0485
If you have no computer or smartphone, or a computer without a microphone, you can call in by phone
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Meeting Agenda:
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
3. READING OF LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
4. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES FROM JUNE 2, 2022
5. PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA (TRC MEMBERS SHALL NOT ENGAGE IN
DISCUSSION WITH THE PUBLIC CONCERNING SAID ITEMS)
6. FOLLOW UP DISCUSSION ON A PROCLAMATION LED BY COMMISSIONER NOBISS FOR MISSING
AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS PEOPLES BY THE CITY ANNUALLY ON MAY 2
7. NEXT/FUTURE STEPS FOR THE AD HOC TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION INCLUDING
THE POTENTIAL FOR A VISIT BY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THINK PEACE TO IOWA CITY IN JULY
2022
8. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS/STAFF (TRC MEMBERS SHALL NOT ENGAGE IN
DISCUSSION WITH ONE ANOTHER CONCERNING SAID ANNOUNCEMENTS)
9. ADJOURNMENT
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@iowa-city.org. Early
requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your accessibility needs.
June 2, 2022
Draft Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Minutes
Emma J. Harvat Hall, City Hall
Commissioners present: Mohamed Traore, Wangui Gathua, Amel Ali, Chastity Dillard, Clif Johnson,
Eric Harris (via Zoom), Sikowis (Christine Nobiss) (via Zoom), Kevo Rivera.
Commissioners not present: Daphney Daniel.
Staff present: Stefanie Bowers.
Recommendations to City Council: Yes, the TRC voted to rescind the recommendation it made at
its May 5, 2022 meeting on the Kearns & West (incorporation with Think Peace and local entities)
Proposal. Motion passed 7-0.
Meeting called to order: 7:07.
Reading of Land Acknowledgement: Ali read the Land Acknowledgement.
Approval of Minutes from May 19, 2022: Ali moved, and Gathua seconded. Motion passed 8-0.
Nobiss not present for vote.
Public Comment of Items not on the Agenda: No.
Discussion on a proclamation led by Commissioner Nobiss for Missing & Murdered Indigenous
Women led by Commissioner Nobiss: Discussion centered around asking Iowa City to proclaim
May 2 annually as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Day to increase awareness,
protection, and justice to and for the Indigenous community. Sioux City’s City Council was the first
city in Iowa to have a Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women Proclamation Day which was put into action
this past May 2nd. Even though the state of Iowa does not report on statistics, there are places in Iowa
including at Meskwaki, and in the Quad City area where Indigenous persons have gone missing. The
proclamation request would be accompanied by a set of action items for the City to better support
Indigenous Peoples.
Discussion and Vote on Whether to Rescind the Recommendation to the City Council in Support
of the Proposal from Kearns & West (In Cooperation with Think Peace and local entities):
Nicholas Thiesen delivered his thoughts on the current state of the TRC, the actions of leaders,
the proposed facilitators for the TRC, and the need to honor the actions of those who
participated in the 2020 protests.
Commissioners discussed whether the City is the best fit for the work that they need to do, how
often the folks who do this type of work get no financial compensation, how it doesn’t seem like
Kearns & West and the local folks can work together under this current proposal.
Between the end of this meeting and the meeting on the June 16, designated Commissioners will
check in with the various organizations involved in the proposal to see whether they still wish to
be a part of the proposed facilitator team. Ali moved to rescind the recommendation to the City
Council in support of the Kearns & West (in cooperation with Think Peace and local entities),
Dillard seconded. Motion passed 7-0. (Harris not present for vote).
Commission Announcements: Dillard mentioned that the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson
County along with Dream City, CommUnity, ICCSD, UAY, and the City will host Wetherby Nights,
every Monday through August 1st from 4-6PM. Gathua invited Commissioners to join the African
Network for Johnson County at its get together being held on Saturday, June 4 at City Park Shelter
#11. Johnson reported that ICOR Boxing is collaborating with Big Brothers Big Sisters to spread
the word on the need for persons to volunteer to be a “Big”. Rivera noted the many tragedies
that have effected communities of color in the last weeks and offered condolences to those
families who have been victims of the tragedies. Nobiss is on the road to support the prayer walk
and vigil for Zachary Bear Heels in Omaha. He was killed by Omaha Police in 2017. Traore asked
the TRC members to give each other some grace.
Adjourn: 8:26 PM
City meetings are recorded and can be viewed in their entirety by visiting this link.
AD HOC TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
ATTENDANCE RECORD
YEAR 2022
(Meeting Date)
NAME
TERM
EXP.
1/20 2/3 2/17 3/3 3/17 4/7 5/5 5/19 6/2 6/16 7/7 7/21 8/4
Ali 6/22 P P P P P P P P P
Daniel 6/22 A P A P P P P A A
Dillard 6/22 P P A P P P P P P
Gathua 6/22 P P P P P P P P P
Johnson 6/22 P P P P P P P P P
Harris 6/22 A P P P P P P P P
Nobiss 6/22 A P A P A A A P P
Rivera 6/22 P P P P P A A A P
Traore 6/22 P P P A P P P P P
KEY: P = Present
A = Absent