Court hearing set Wednesday for First 3 Arrested at DQ University

NEWS ADVISORY
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Contact: Manuel Santana 408/914 1079 or 916/996 9170

DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT DESK

Court hearing set Wednesday for first 3
arrested at tribal college; 18 others
jailed Monday await appearances

WOODLAND – A court appearance for three students arrested in February – 18
more were jailed Monday – for allegedly "trespassing" on the campus of
California's only tribal college, DQ (DEGANAWIDAH QUETZACOATL) University
is set here Wednesday

The arraignment will be held at 8:30 a.m. WEDNESDAY at the Yolo County
Courthouse in Woodland (Dept. 9/check court calendar).

A rally by students will be held at 8 a.m., shortly before the court hearing.

Sacramento civil rights attorney Mark Reichel has agreed to represent one of the students.

Students maintain they are part of the Associated Study Body of DQU, and
that they have been holding classes at the college, while the Board of
Trustees has done little or nothing to get the college re-accredited or
find funding for the school.

Current students, and community members, hold numerous programs and
workshops, including an Indigenous Perma-culture Program, bio-diesel
workshops and bi-weekly ceremonies on campus.

Local and regional Native and Chicano communities are supporting the work
of the students, and agree that the current Board of Directors of DQU has
failed to implement the educational mission of the school, which is to
unify all Indigenous people and create a harmonious relationship with the
community, said the ASB of DQU.

In 1970, groups of Native Americans and Chicana/o students from several
universities and colleges organized themselves to lay claim to a
decommissioned military installation. Their goal was to create a learning
environment through the unified cultures of the indigenous peoples of the
Americas. Students and members of the community believe it is now their
responsibility to ensure a positive future for DQ University.

Directions to Woodland Courthouse Dept. 9:
Hwy 113 North to
Left on Main St. then right on 3rd.
Dept. 9 on the right.


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