100 signatures reached
To: Residents of Indian Village
Rename Indian Village
We call on the residents of the Detroit Michigan neighborhood currently known as Indian Village to rename their neighborhood. The neighborhood name was chosen by the initial subdividers as a way of encouraging people to look at the home lots. There is no record of an American Indian settlement being within or near the neighborhood. The name is both misleading and racially problematic. Using a people and culture who's lands were stolen from them to then sell that land is not acceptable.
Why is this important?
Indian Village is an affluent neighborhood on the East side of the city of Detroit. It is a subdivision that was created from a farm owned by the Cook family. The name of the neighborhood was not chosen to lift up or empower people, it was not chosen out of honor or respect. Instead, according to the Detroit Historical Society, it was chosen to “give the neighborhood character” helping to sell the lots and homes. There were many settlements in the area and there is a long history of people living in the area before colonization. However, local Tribal historians, the Detroit Historical Society, and the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office have all confirmed that there was not a Native settlement at the location. The name is offensive to the local Indigenous people, historically inaccurate, and misleading.
It is not acceptable to appropriate people or culture to sell products. Indian Village is another example of the appropriation of the Indigenous people of North America being used by others. These practices must come to an end and we are calling on the neighborhood residents and the City of Detroit to rename this neighborhood to “The Village.”