When I arrived on campus the evening of Oct. 7, I entered the Multicultural Education Center and was greeted by a student from the Native American Indigenous Student Organization.

The student shared with me a flier that was found under the door earlier that day. The flier made racist and disparaging comments toward Native Americans; as though Christopher Columbus was the savior and source of civilization.

I later learned that this same flier was slipped under the door of Minority Student Services and distributed to individuals in Anspach Hall. There is no author identified and clearly no means of directly responding to the originator of the flier. But more importantly, the message conveyed perpetuates the history of verbal assaults that Native Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities must endure from those who refuse to lend a critical eye to our collective histories. Although these individuals may be few in number, they damage our community even while we are striving to become more inclusive.

While I agree free speech is protected under the U.S. Constitution, this protection does not prevent individuals from spreading misinformation and promoting stereotypes that often keep us apart instead of bringing us together. The Office of Native American Programs, Minority Student Services, NAISO, Multicultural Education Center and Gay and Lesbian Programs provide opportunities for the campus community to learn from one another and engage in cross-cultural dialogues.

However, to be the target of this type of speech is disappointing and unacceptable. It has no place at our institution, Central Michigan University.

Furthermore, it proves that each one of us has more work to do to eliminate stereotypes and misinformation about Native Americans. Ask yourself; Do I want to be a part of the solution? If so, Native American Programs has scheduled several opportunities for us to move forward.

On Nov. 1, NAISO is sponsoring an open forum on Native American stereotyping from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Bovee University Center Rotunda. On Nov. 8, Native American Programs is holding an educational seminar for faculty and staff in the Charles V. Park Library Auditorium. Sonny Smart will speak on cultural competence and Native Americans from 2 to 4 p.m.

Smart is an associate professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he coordinates the Native American Rural and Social Work program, and Native American Family Institute.

Also on Nov. 8, Smart will be the keynote speaker for CMU’s Native American Heritage Month at Park Library Auditorium from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Finally, Winona LaDuke will speak Nov. 19 in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium from 7 to 9 p.m. LaDuke has written extensively on Native Americans and is the founding director of the White Earth Land Recovery Project.

The remedy to hate speech is well-informed speech, knowledgeable speech and dialogue that seeks to uphold our values of civility and academic excellence. Be a part of the solution so that Native Americans or any other group – because of their race, ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation and gender – suffer from these acts of hate any longer.

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