The American Student Association at UCI would first like to thank you for taking the time to read

and work with us to make sure the issue involving the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 is resolved. We understand that action over a grievance takes time, but we also know that we, as an organization, individuals, and contributing students at UCI, deserve a resolution that will stem from it a safe environment and respect for our generation as well as the generations to come; we hope to see concrete steps toward a positive direction in the near future. The American Indian Student Association at UCI was created in 1974 in response to the overwhelming need for support and advocacy in higher education for Native students. Starting with only a few students, AISA has always supported Indian peoples rights to education, to learn, and to thrive as Native people. Throughout its history, AISA has contributed to the Native students, to the surrounding community, and to UCI as a whole. By outreaching and educating, working with the local tribe and community through our Pow wow and other events such as Native Heritage Month, we have been able to build a strong foundation for our group and to represent ourselves well as a positive force and entity. Starting as a support group for Native students on campus, AISA has grown into something much larger; The American Indian Student Association at the University of California, Irvine speaks out and represents Natives of all Nations on and off campus- socially, politically, educationally, and culturally. With the overwhelming discrimination that is seen in popular culture, media, mainstream society, and in our k- 12th education system, Native people, especially the youth and students, are handed a burden of misrepresentation in many forms and in numerous components of life. Sadly many of society's stereotypes carry over in the school systems; the ethnic misrepresentations displayed by Phi Kappa Psi at their Thanksgiving party are one such example. Stereotypes and these types of discrimination should not be overlooked and/or allowed to continue especially when it is affecting the lives of students on campus and how we feel as American Indian Peoples. These acts of racism and disrespect highlight the need to have a policy put into place and enforced so these events do not happen again; furthermore, these acts show the overwhelming need for Native representation in faculty and/or administration to help educate UCI students of all backgrounds on Native issues on the UCI campus. The event that occurred on Tuesday, October 23, 2010 with the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity at UCI is completely unacceptable. The fraternity decided to advertise and host a theme party in light of Thanksgiving called Pilgrims and Indians (Please se e attached flier). These fliers showed scantily clad females in fake Indian costumes. These depictions are not only disrespectful to women in general and Native women specifically, but show contempt for native culture and history. Upon learning of this event, AISA filed complaints, through the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, expressing feelings of discomfort and disrespectful treatment because of the event; despite the fact that our complaints and petition were made preventatively through school channels and the fraternity was notified, the party still went on. Advertisements were still shown on Facebook, and fliers continued to be dispersed on campus and around the community. Furthermore, UCI shuttles were used to bring students from different community housing complexes on the UCI campus specifically for the event. The result was public display, in front of AISA members, of students dressed in skimpy Indian outfits with eagle feathers - a sacred item special to our lives and ceremonies as Indian people - parading around in mockery of Native people, our culture, and the history of our nations. The continuation of this event after UCI students had made complaints, showed a lack of regard and respect for the voices of such students; this lack of effort shown by UCI and the said Fraternity made Native and supporting students feel very uncomfortable and underrepresented.

As a small organization that contributes to this campus, it saddens us to have to see this year by year and feel as though we do not belong at a university which we have worked so hard to be a part of because it is supposed to have a progressive and supportive environment for its students. Native students, nor any other students, should not be subjected to seeing their ancestors, heri tage, traditions or beliefs mocked in any way, let alone by a university organization required to comply with university policies. As a fraternity that receives university funds and is required to go through university sanctions for events, it is deeply troubling that Phi Kappa Psi was able to promote and hold this type of event. We submit that it is UCIs duty to uphold rules and regulations that ensure ALL students, no matter what their population size on campus is, feel safe and comfortable to thrive and be proud of who they are. It should not be a space that is degrading, confining, or makes us second-guess the option of bringing our loved ones to campus in fear of embarrassment that these types of events occur again. In light of the event of November 23, 2010 involving the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity and their theme party in satire of Thanksgiving entitled Pilgrims and Indians, The American Indian Student Association, a student and community organization, at UCI demands that a policy change comes about through administration and is enforced throughout the school to protect Native students on campus by condemning these types of events and ensuring further disciplinary action towards those who decide to hold these types of events at UCI. Furthermore, we demand that we see and are involved in the process of hiring more Native faculty along with the creation of multiple American Indian courses taught by such faculty to the UCI campus in support of Native students growth and education on Native issues and culture to prevent such events like said event on November 23, 2010 from happening again. We demand a meeting with the chancellor and the vice chancellor of the University of California, Irvine to discuss a direct plan of action before the end of winter quarter. If no action is taken in regards to this event and our demands, the American Indian Student Association will escalate the situation to a broader audience, in order to ensure that all are aware of the hostile climate against Natives at UCI and the issues that are arising from these types of events. By being a part of the Intertribal Collegiate Alliance and working within the surrounding community, we have access to over 13 different campuses that stand in support of us and our struggle. We thank you for your time and hope to find a resolution within an appropriate amount of time. Respectively, The American Indian Student Association at the University of California, Irvine