COSIA
The Coalition of Students for Indigenous Action
Embedded Files
Photo by Penh Alicandro
"Eckerd College celebrates the beautiful campus it calls home and teaches the importance of environmental stewardship as a core value. An essential part of this commitment is acknowledging the Indigenous communities—past, present, and future—who are the traditional custodians of these lands and waterways.
Eckerd College acknowledges that its campus lies within the traditional homelands of the Seminole and Miccosukee people and their ancestral groups whose history here stretches back more than 12,000 years. We recognize the profound resilience of Seminole, Miccosukee, Choctaw, Cherokee, and other Native peoples who fought bravely to defend their homelands against powerful colonial forces. As a campus community, we commit to learning and teaching Native American history and cultural awareness, recognizing and honoring the presence of Indigenous people, and caring for the land that has become our home to the best of our ability."
-Eckerd College Land Acknowledgment
Cam Dasher Co-Founder of COSIA 2023; Photo by Lisa Presnail
Who are we?
Who are we?
COSIA started in 2023 as a group of Eckerd College students working with faculty dedicated to establishing a Land Acknowledgement Statement. The statement was institutionalized that year and debuted at graduation. We remain committed to fostering relationships between our community and the land beneath our feet.
The Land Acknowledgement Statement is the starting point of a more inclusive institution, not the stopping point. This is the action that COSIA is committed to continuing. We believe that by learning from stewards of the land past and present the Eckerd community will ultimately be strengthened. In 2024, COSIA officially became a club to reach more students and members of the Eckerd community.
Are You a Professor? Click Here!
Are You a Professor? Click Here!
In February of 2024, COSIA faculty collaborates and a student represented presented to the faculty meeting to encourage professors to add the Land Acknowledgement to their syllabi, and to start incorporating conversations of stewardship into their classes. The Original Shoreline (provided below) is just one resources for starting conversations about the campus' land. We understand that it is more appropriate in some courses than others to learn about this history, but all classes take place (at least in part) on this campus. It is our hope that all professors will add the Land Acknowledgement Statement to their syllabi in the future. We know that you already have a long list of required statements, so what's the harm in one more? These words mean something to our community and to the future of this community.
Photos by Ash Murphy
In 2024, we celebrate the rethatching of the Chickees beside Fox pond. These structures were a gift to our institution from the Seminole tribe constructed with the traditional materials--palmetto leaves and cypress-log stilts. This is the second time that the Chickees on our campus have been rethatched, continuing their care is just one way to honor that gift. These Chickees are just one stop along our Original Shoreline educational tour.
Photo by Penh Alicandro
The Original Shoreline
The Original Shoreline
The Ethnoecology Trail
This trail is an educational walking tour that follows what Eckerd's shoreline was before dredging. We teach about the nine certified wildlife habitats on campus, native flora, indigenous people of Tampa Bay, and the stewardship of the Eckerd community. These talks have been given in a number of Eckerd classes and each year for earth week!
Starting a Relationship with the Land
Starting a Relationship with the Land
There are no wrong ways to connect with the land. You can go on a walk, read about the history, garden, do yoga at the farm, or practice gratitude from the comfort of your bed. This process can look different for everyone. In this section, we wanted to share a book that has positively impacted all members of COSIA so far. Robin Wall Kimmerer is a poet, botanist, indigenous person, and mother. Her book, "Braiding Sweetgrass" aligns easily with COSIA goals of sharing botanical knowledge and the wisdom of previous stewards of the land.
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