This was in part inspired by a recent friend of mine’s article titled “Reflections of an Arab Student at CU,” but also news from the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder. On Oct. 3, CU Boulder announced its plan for its 150th anniversary in 2026, and this announcement has reminded me of the blood and tears that went into the creation of the university at which we attend. With a large colonial history, too large to cover in this opinion piece, ranging from apartheid South Africa to the Zionist occupation from its inception in 1948 to now, and beyond, one may wonder whose blood and tears went into creating this university. If you were to guess the white settlers who stole this land from the Native savages, you would be correct in the eyes of Chancellor Justin Schwartz, who, coincidentally, was born occupying my own ancestral land of chicago, Illinois, or šikaakwa, the name by which we gave it before French settlers twisted and mangled the name into chicago.
In the university’s announcement, Chancellor Schwartz states that, “CU Boulder’s founders dreamed of a university that would transform lives and strengthen society…If they could see the university today, I think they would be awestruck by the influence and impact this campus holds for students, staff and faculty, alumni and all of Colorado,” although I tend to disagree, as one of CU’s most important founders, Lieutenant Governor of Colorado, David H. Nichols would most likely start shooting if he saw some of CU’s students, staff and faculty. This man, who not only participated in the Mexican-American War, helping to annex 525,000 square miles of land, also participated in the Sand Creek Massacre, where he helped to kill around 150 Tsétsêhéstâhese and Hinono’ei (Cheyenne and Arapaho), with around two thirds being women and children.
This information alone helps to understand why a frustrated former American Indian Movement (AIM) member and CU professor, Ward Churchill, would say, “I don’t even recognize this fuckin’ place. It’d be nice to blow it up.” And although I would never actually think to blow anything up, it doesn’t stop CU Boulder and their friends in the FBI from believing six Chicano students would blow themselves up, by accident, of course, with explosives. These six alleged slayings by CU and the FBI, of course, would never go unnoticed by the University, because, despite allegedly aiding in these killings, it would be a disservice to the Latinx and Hispanic community not to acknowledge the contributions these students had in helping the campus become safer for all students, regardless of whether David H. Nichols would approve of their savage existence or not.
While also on the topic of student movements, it would also be a disservice not to mention the historic and ongoing repression of student organizers by CU Boulder, so much so that the occupation of multiple university buildings was necessary just for CU to relocate financial aid documents that mysteriously went missing. We can’t just look to the past, though, especially given the recent wave of repression against pro-Palestinian students. This current wave of student repression is much more ridiculous than it has ever been in the past, with a trembling CU Boulder scared of any pushback by the current “U.S.” occupation’s leadership, attempting to shut down any Palestine related event, whether it be a film showing with a film club, students cooking food in a campus kitchen, or students studying in a study center. This itself is a complicated matter because we can’t lose focus on the true victims here, the Palestinians in Gaza, being mercilessly killed by the real savages that CU funds through partnerships with Lockheed Martin, RTX, and Boeing.
CU attempting to shut down these events for the community isn’t even the injustice itself, but the fact that these events were advertised as fundraisers for students and families suffering the extremities of colonialism, and they still decided to send in bootlicking maci-koohkoošaki to prevent any sort of aid from reaching these people is the most sickening takeaway from this wave of repression.
With all of this said, I can very much agree with Churchill when he said, “Fucking white people….They’re the problem.” If I hear one more robbery acknowledgement from this god forsaken University, I will start scalping again. Happy 150th, CU Boulder, peemaka eehtooyiikwi aweentioni eehkwi kati ašiihkiwi pimaamhkihsinki, alenia eehkwi mihtohseeniwici.
El Diario de la Gente 
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