Indigenous artist says administrator’s refusal to adopt ‘land acknowledgment’ is like raping her

Emily Johnson made several demands as a condition of participating in Montclair State University’s contemporary art series Peak Performances.

The indigenous artist not only asked Peak Performances to adopt a “land acknowledgment” and start a “land rental fund” for the Lenape tribe that previously occupied MSU’s land, but she demanded the whole public New Jersey university start the “decolonization” process.

When the administrator in charge of the series balked, Johnson compared the experience to being raped and held at gunpoint.

Montclair State pushed back in a public statement Thursday, two weeks after her accusatory Medium post, accusing Johnson (above) of repeatedly refusing to accept that MSU’s Office of Arts and Cultural Programming has no authority to meet her demands.

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Wheeler and ACP “repeatedly explained” to them that it “cannot make policy for the whole institution” or “formulate and adopt important policy decisions by means of a contract with a particular performing artist.” That would circumvent the consultation process with stakeholders across Montclair State, which “culminates in the formal approval of new programs and policies.”

The university turned the tables on Johnson, asking why she didn’t use the “complete artistic freedom” that Peak Performances offers every artist to make her own land acknowledgment.

Even after ACP secured a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for Johnson to produce “two online symposia” this year, she refused to produce the symposia, citing her non-negotiable demands, according to the university.

Johnson claims Peak Performances is “under contract” to pay her the money, regardless of her output. She characterized the symposia as “two zoom meetings.”