The “All People Tree” had been a standing symbol of the University of Montana’s commitment to to diversity, according to a UM press release: In October 2009 during sub-zero temperatures, Hellgate winds blew through the UM campus and “pummeled the All People Tree, a spruce that had stood for years on the northeast corner of the UM Ova.UM President George M. Dennison has directed the planting of a new tree this year, and the first steps to bring the All People Tree back to the Oval will be a traditional blessing of the site from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, May 6.
The public is invited to attend the event, organized by the UM Diversity Advisory Council. The site is located near Main Hall on the northeast corner of the Oval. Educator and activist Julie Cajune (Salish) will speak at the ceremony. “Invisible to the eye, but known in memory and heart, are the stories of an old tribal world,” Cajune said. “Who we are collectively as a people, as a diverse society, is the sum of these stories and many others.” Cajune is the administrator of a Kellogg Foundation grant to develop tribal historical materials for Salish Kootenai College. She was named one of “50 visionaries who are changing your world” in 2009 by Utne magazine.
The All People Tree was first dedicated on the Oval in 1996, when UM’s Diversity Advisory Council members led efforts to widen sidewalks near the site and provide a bench where the community and visitors could sit and find solace in the University’s commitment to welcome all to campus. A plaque was placed near the tree that reads: “The All People Tree, a lasting tribute to the many branches of humankind.”
Several other quotes appear on plaques that surround the tree, one of which is very relevant to the efforts of UM Diversity Advisory Council members to support the All People Tree on the Oval: “Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead (1901-1978). UM’s Diversity Advisory Council, composed of representatives from across campus, works to remove barriers to academic achievement and promote social integration through a supportive campus climate and learning environment.”
Jodi Rave