The Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, trustee and subordinate BIA, BIE trustees are not qualified to operate Haskell Indian Nations University. The trustees have little or no experience in governance of higher education required of a trustee of a university. The trustees have no understanding of the duties required of a trustee of a university. The Haskell’s trustees lack of qualifications in higher education experience and training has caused the Higher Learning Consortium (HLC) to place Haskell to “accredited on notice” leading to loss of accreditation and closure. The Haskell trustees’ failure has prompted the introduction of the Haskell Indian Nations University Improvement Act legislation sponsored by U S Senator Jerry Moran (R-KAN) and Representative Tracey Mann (R-KAN).
The Higher Learning Consortium (HLC) has placed Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) accreditation to ‘accredited on notice” and Haskell faces loss of accreditation due to not meeting compliance standards of the HLC. LJW, July 9, 2026. Obviously, the Haskell trustees are not qualified to remedy the HLC out of compliance status and should be removed from their governance of Haskell university as cited in the proposed HINU Improvement Act. The loss of accreditation is dire and will lead to closure of Haskell. An outside governance Consultant knowledgeable in HLC standards of accreditation is needed immediately to develop a plan to avert loss of accreditation at Haskell.
The performance plan to avert HLC loss of accreditation is being developed by the same trustees who caused the “accredited on notice” status of Haskell.
The root cause of Haskell’s non-compliance with HLC’s standards is the trustee’s not being independent. The situation is a conflict-of-interest. The trustees’ lack of independence prevented objectivity for multiple reasons. The trustees governing Haskell have no independent conflict-of-interest policy or it has been violated.
The Haskell trustees have lost focus on the primary purpose and mission of Haskell to support Haskell student achievement and Congress is negligent in its trust responsibility oversight of Haskell.
Haskell Indian Nations University when it was opened in 1884, was called the United States Indian Industrial Training School. Haskell was established to force assimilation, genocidal erasure of Native American History and culture modeled after the forced assimilation curriculum practice of Superintendent R. H. Pratt, Carlisle Indian industrial school. Today, Haskell is a four-year higher education university and the premiere university for Native American people. Haskell is in dire need of transformation that has prompted the proposed Haskell Indian Nations University Improvement Act.
Haskell Indian Nations University is the premiere federal Indian university for Indian trust beneficiaries and impacts nearly every Native American family in the United States including Alaska. Haskell’s Mission Statement is as follows:
Our mission at Haskell Indian Nations University is to build the LEADERSHIP capacity of our students by serving as the leading institution of academic EXCELLECE, CULTURAL, and INTELLECTURAL PROMINENCE and HOLISTIC education that addresses the needs of Indigenous communities.
First Nations Journal has invited Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum to Haskell to re-affirm federal education Indian treaty trust responsibilities of the United States. We will look forward to the re-affirmation of full Indian education trust responsibility to Indian beneficiaries.
First Nations Journal
M’gwitch, 🪶
Steve Cadue
Kickapoo Nation Kansas
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