HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-01-24 Ad Hoc Truth & Reconciliation CommissionAd Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Thursday, August 1, 2024
Regular Meeting
7 PM — Emma Harvat Hall, City Hall
410 E. Washington Street
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2. READING OF NATIVE AMERICAN LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
3. PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA (COMMISSIONERS
SHALL NOT ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION WITH THE PUBLIC CONCERNING
SAID ITEMS.) 5 MINUTE MAXIMUM FOR EACH SPEAKER.
OnIV in -person comments will be allowed for Public Comment. Public comment
for specific agenda items, which must be directly related to that agenda item,
maybe madein-person or remotely.
4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM JULY 18, 2024
S. NEXT STEPS FOR PHASE THREE AND FOUR INCLUDING UPCOMING
EVENTS AND ENGAGEMENT
6. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS
7. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF STAFF
8. ADJOURNMENT
In order to encourage input from the public, the Commission intends to offer the opportunity
to participate in the meeting remotely. However, this meetingis in -person, and those
wishing to ensure their ability to participate should attend the meeting in -person. If you
instead wish to participate remotely, youmay attempt to do so by joining the below link.
First Thursday Meetings
I D: 867 2424 8095
Third Thursday Meetings
I D: 895 3695 0485
If you have no computer or smartphone, or a computer without a microphone, you can
call in by phone by dialing (312) 626-6799 and entering the meeting ID when prompted.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all City of Iowa City -sponsored events. If you are a
person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation inorder to participate in these events,
please contact the Office of Equity and Human Rights at 319-356-5022 or humanrightsno Iowa-citv.ora.
Native American land Acknowledgement
Prepared for the City of Iowa City's Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Human
Rights Commission
PURPOSE
Iowa City owes its existence to the many Indigenous Peoples who were the original stewards of this land
and who were subjected to manipulation and violence by non-native settlers, invaders, and governments
in order to make this moment possible. Acknowledgement of this truth is central to our work toward
reconciliation across all barriers of difference and injustice. Starting with a Native American Land
Acknowledgement, this Commission will bear witness to the legacies of violent displacement, migration,
and settlement that have marginalized those who were the first inhabitants of this land. We must also
address the mistreatment and exclusion that Native Americans continue to face today. The Ad Hoc Truth
and Reconciliation Commission and the Human Rights Commission encourage the community and City of
Iowa City to join us in these efforts through the use of a Native American Land Acknowledgement.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
To be read at all public meetings and events:
"We meet today in the community of Iowa City, which now occupies the homelands of
Native American Nations to whom we owe our commitment and dedication. The area of
Iowa City was within the homelands of the Iowa, Meskwaki, and Sauk, and because
history is complex and time goes far back beyond memory, we also acknowledge the
ancient connections of many other Indigenous Peoples here. The history of broken
treaties and forced removal that dispossessed Indigenous Peoples of their homelands
was and is an act of colonization and genocide that we can not erase. We implore the
Iowa City community to commit to understanding and addressing these injustices as we
work toward equity, restoration, and reparations."
LEARN MORE
Native Governance Center Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
US Department of Arts and Culture: Honor Native Land Virtual Resources and Guide
Meskwaki Nation - History
Special thanks to the University of Iowa Native American Council for their work and guidance, as well as
members of the public, for their input.
July 18, 2024
Draft Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Minutes
Emma Harvat Hall, City Hall
Commissioners present: Amos Kiche, Cliff Johnson, Chad Simmons, Chastity Dillard, Lauren
Merritt.
Commissioners on Zoom: Lubna Mohamed, Wangm Gathua, Kayla Rossi.
Commissioners not present: Louis Tassinary.
Staff present: Geoff Fruin.
Recommendation to City Council: No.
Meeting called to order: 7:09 PM
Reading of Land Acknowledgement: Merritt read the Land Acknowledgement.
Approval of minutes from June 20, 2024: Dillard moved, and Johnson seconded. Motion passed
8-0.
Next steps for phase three and four:
Dillard led the discussion with a recap on what are areas of focus in the last meeting. Kiche shared
a potential budget that would offer a new approach to the commission's goals leading to the end of
the year. In Kiche's budget it was suggested to focus on groups by race/ethnicity. Dillard
mentioned that in previous meetings the commission agreed as a whole to allow the focus for the
remainder of the work to be put towards Africans and Black communities. Merritt and Johnson
agreed the proposed budget looked realistic and doable for the commission. Dillard suggested
using the budget as a loose guide that allows for some changes throughout their work. It was
suggested to update the timeline of the budget due to it being late July and leading up to the
commission end date of December 2024.
Frum offered a suggestion to have both a summary budget that allows for more flexibility and then
a more detailed budget that allows the commission a rough guideline for planning purposes. Fruin
also mentioned that the city is likely to be more interested in the bottom -line number that the
commission plans to spend for the remainder of its time.
Dillard suggested allocating less funds to space rentals and putting that money towards food and
other necessities. Mohamed suggested the Coralville Public Library as a free meeting space.
Simmons recommended making a motion for the budget in order to focus on more important issues
at hand and then focusing on the smaller details in the budget for a later date.
It was agreed that the "miscellaneous" line of the budget would be changed to "report writing,
facilitation, and shared services" with a budget of $7,500. Simmons clarified the budget by
suggesting doubling the numbers in the budget for special meeting and special event promotion
than keeping the amount for community marketing, and putting the remainder $7500 towards
writing, facilitation, and shared services, totaling $20,000 for the overall budget.
Johnson brought up the idea of using students as interns for the remainder of the commission.
Fruin advised against putting out an open call for interns due to government requirements for the
hiring process. It was recommended to seek help that would be considered an independent
contractor. Simmons recommended Tevin Robbins and Dr. Venise Barry.
Simmons suggested prioritizing an event planner within the budget. Kiche asked about the
community outreach and engagement specialist that will be hired as city staff through the Office of
Human Rights.
Johnson asked about the status on commission merch to provide during outreach efforts. Dillard
noted that it will be necessary to order more. Dillard mentioned the importance of the
subcommittees coming up with a schedule that maps out each committee's responsibilities through
the December 2024 end date. Gathua asked if there was an outline of what is left to do and what is
expected for the final report. Dillard reported that the tasks at hand are to focus on the report (with
Tassinary leading this work and a suggested date of October -early Nov. to get a report to City
Council by its December meeting date) and focusing on community engagement (gathering
information and showcasing the commissions potential). Gathua suggested a calendar of events
with flexible dates and a general overview of what is to be expected.
Dillard offered to work with Kiche on cleaning up the budget to better match the evenings
discussion.
Motion to approve the budget for phase three and four in the amount of $20,000. It was moved by
Dillard and seconded by Johnson. Motion passed 7-0. Simmons abstained.
Announcements of commissioners:
Gathua asked for commissioners to keep Kenya community members in their thoughts as a way to
support community members who's home of origin is Kenya as their government faces corruption.
Dillard shared the upcoming event National Night Out on August 6t' as an opportunity to table the
event.
Announcements of staff: None.
The meeting adjourned at 7:54 PM.
The full meeting video can be viewed at this link.
AD HOC TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
ATTENDANCE RECORD
YEAR 2024
(Meeting Date)
NAME
TERM
EXP.
1/4
1/25
2/1
2/15
117
3/14
31111
3/20
3/21
4/4
5/2
5/16
6/20
7/18
Dillard
12/31/24
Z
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
Gathua
12/31/24
P
P
P
P
A
P
P
P
P
P
A
A
Z
Z
Kiche
12/31/24
-
-
-
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
Johnson
12/31/24
A
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
Merritt
12/31/24
P
Z
P
P
Z
P
P
P
P
P
P
A
P
P
Mohamed
12/31/24
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Z
Z
Z
Simmons
12/31/24
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
A
P
Z
P
P
A
P
Tassinary
12/31/24
P
A
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
A
P
P
P
A
Rossi
12/31/24
A
Z
P = Present in person
A = Absent
Z = Zoom
Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Approved Budget for Phases Three and Four
Category
Amount
Description
Special Meeting
$5,000
Special meeting accommodations to include food,
Accommodations (outside
participation supplies (paper, pens, flip charts, etc.),
of typical TRC business
rental fees, any other expenses to encourage
meetings)
participation and efficient proceedings
Community Marketing
$2,500
Social media, radio and other marketing outlets to
promote TRC mission and encourage participation from
a broad representation of the public
Special Event Promotion
$5,000
Identifiable clothing for TRC Commissioners (e.g. t-
shirts, sweatshirts) for representation at community
events. Table runners, banners and small promotional
items topromote TRC mission and participation
Miscellaneous Pilot
$7,500
Allows TRC to create and test efforts to help the
Programs, Report
community move towards reconciliation prior to final
Writing,
recommendations being made. Examples may include
Facilitation and
book purchases for a small group healing session,
Shared Services
contracting with a subject matter expert for a
community lecture / community event, etc. Also
includes professional assistance activities such as
event planning, report writing, research, and
documentation of TRC activities.
Total
$20,000
Approved July 18, 2024