MSU College Republicans Paint Over Indigenous Peoples Art

East Lansing, Michigan — On October 13, 2025, members of the Michigan State University (MSU) College Republicans painted over artwork on The Rock that honored Indigenous Peoples Day. This artwork, created by the North American Indigenous Student Organization (NAISO), featured the message “NO ONE IS ILLEGAL ON STOLEN LAND” in bright blue and black letters.

The repainting was initiated by College Republicans Secretary Tyler Bommarito, who discovered the NAISO artwork following a class at Bessey Hall. After sharing a photo of the artwork in the College Republicans group chat, members expressed support for an immediate repainting. The College Republicans’ new messages on The Rock included slogans such as “America has a right to exist” and “WOKE IS DEAD,” which were positioned on the opposite side.

The repainting action occurred around 8 p.m. and lasted approximately thirty minutes. A small gathering of observers, including Miah Gill, Vice President of the Black Students’ Alliance, watched the event unfold. Gill stated that the College Republicans’ messages felt exclusionary and contributed to a sense of intimidation among marginalized students at the university.

Bommarito defended the group’s action by arguing that NAISO’s original message suggested that America does not have the right to exist, a notion he deemed unacceptable. This event paralleled the actions taken by the MSU chapter of Turning Point USA on the previous Indigenous Peoples’ Day, when they painted over NAISO’s past messaging on The Rock.