The University of Iowa College of Law sits on land once occupied by numerous different groups of native American people. Through several treaties with the United States, tribal nations ceded land in Iowa to make way for the state of Iowa and ultimately the University of Iowa and the College of Law. Dealings between the United States and American Indian tribal nations were not always honorable, and some of the provisions of these treaties have been broken. A new community now thrives on these lands and we owe a debt to the tribal nations that occupied this land previously. These tribal nations are an important part of our national and regional heritage; many of them persist today and continue to be recognized formally by the U.S. government. We acknowledge those tribal nations and native people and express our appreciation and respect.
Consistent with this acknowledgement and appreciation, the University of Iowa invites qualified members of the tribal nations that are historic to Iowa to attend the University of Iowa at resident tuition rates, regardless of where they now live. The University of Iowa Native American Council’s Acknowledgement of Land and Sovereignty lists the names of each of these tribal nations and all of the treaties between the United States and Indian tribes involving lands in Iowa.