‘A Good Start’

Speaking at a tea hosted by President Elizabeth Bradley, she responded to a student who asked about Holsey’s feelings regarding the acknowledgment in which the College and the Vassar community recognize that the campus stands on Stockbridge-Munsee homelands. “It’s a good start that the College acknowledges that this land is ours,” Holsey said. “It allows us to have important conversations and keeps us from being relegated to the past. But as I looked around and observed all of the activities that are taking place, I can see that it’s a happy place, and I think it would make our ancestors happy.”

During her conversation with students at the President’s Tea, Holsey noted that some of the language in the U.S. Constitution had been taken from the constitutions of Native American tribes, particularly the Iroquois Nation. “As the United States celebrates 250 years since its birth, it’s useful to remember some of the people who have been here much longer than that and to share their stories,” she said. “We know that most Americans are not exposed to Native American history until after secondary school.”

Speaking about some of the political strife the United States is currently facing, Holsey urged the students to take a lesson from the challenges that have faced her tribe throughout its history. “Sometimes the work feels insurmountable, but you have to be brave,” she said. “As a member of an indigenous people who have survived atrocities, I can tell you we are still here, so don’t let adversity distract you from your goals.”

One student who attended the tea, Claire Caveney Snyder ’26, said she had gained a greater understanding about Vassar’s relationship with the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians. “I was particularly struck by Shannon Holsey’s willingness to meet people where they are in their understanding of indigenous culture and government,” Snyder said. “She talked about being in a constant cycle and reeducation of government officials as the landscape of politics changes.”

During her two-day visit, Holsey also toured The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center and met with members of the Native American and Indigenous Students Alliance, the Native American Advisory Committee, and students and faculty involved in the College’s Native American Studies Program.

Assistant Professor of American Studies Leora Gansworth, said she was honored to be able to speak with Holsey during her visit with members of the Native American Studies program. “President Holsey generously shared inspiring visions as she listened to and reflected on a range of faculty and student expertise in the room, highlighting strengths and possibilities for future collaboration,” said Gansworth, who grew up on the Tuscarora Nation Reservation in upstate New York. “It is encouraging to consider how Vassar might support the priorities of Tribal Nations, citizens, and potential students, especially the Stockbridge-Munsee who have such long and enduring connections to the land and history of this region.”

Bekir Hozdic ’26, a Native American Studies correlate, said his conversation with Holsey had been illuminating. “We were able (as a group of correlates) to meet with her to broadly chat about a variety of topics linked to Indigenous communities and Vassar’s relationship to the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians,” Hozdic said. “She not only warmly received all our questions but also offered such enlightening commentary on issues ranging from how museums and other cultural institutions can productively interact with Native tribes to how her people (and others) work to address the lingering impacts of historical mass violence and displacement. She, moreover, emphasized the value of building ties between the Stockbridge-Munsee and Vassar, and welcomed us to continue engaging with her and the tribe to aid in that effort. I think that’s a call that all of us should consider and contribute to where we can.”