UTulsa awarded $500,000 Mellon grant for sovereignty research

February 27, 2025

The University of Tulsa has been awarded $500,000 by the Mellon Foundation for a three-year research, teaching, and public humanities initiative titled "Sovereignty and Democracy in Indian Country." This project will explore Oklahoma's unique cultural geography, particularly focusing on the intersections of state, federal, and tribal sovereignties. It will bring together artists, historians, and leaders to examine the history of democracy in the Americas and imagine a thriving future. This work will be driven by the aftermath of the 2020 Supreme Court decision McGirt v. Oklahoma, which redefined the relationship between the U.S. and Native nations. UTulsa President Brad Carson, a Cherokee citizen, supports these efforts to explore the institution's own complex history, including research into the founding of the school as the Presbyterian School for Indian Girls. The Mellon grant is part of an initiative involving 30 universities and aims to foster inclusion and democratic values.

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