A condition of employment or enrollment at Haskell Indian Nations University is surrendering your constitutional rights at the gate. Haskell employees and students are defenseless with no right of academic freedom or first amendment rights. Former Interim HINU President Mackie Moore spoke of not doing their job due to the hiring freeze placed on Haskell. LJW January 9, 2026. Mackie Moore spoke of going to Washington, D C to plead with Bureau of Indian Education officials and lawmakers to lift the hiring freeze to fulfill Indian education trust responsibilities to Indian beneficiaries at Haskell.
Finally, after a decade or more the public stakeholders and Congress were going to learn the true educational resources, Haskell needed to fulfill the federal trust responsibility to Indian education. Haskell will remain “severely dysfunctional” as described in the July 23, 2024, congressional hearing committee report.
We have seen this Haskell president change before, for over a decade, and nothing changes. There is a lack of accountability at Haskell as reflected in the Higher Learning Consortium ‘accredited on notice letter to Haskell. Haskell students are whipsawed from one chaotic scenario to another. Haskell students exist in an unsafe educational and unhealthy environment. Intergenerational trauma is historically experienced by Haskell students with roots in the forced assimilation of Haskell’s Indian boarding school era. A 19th century of ‘kill the Indian in him, save the man Haskell governance ideology remains antiquated law in the ‘ward to his guardian” principle in Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831)
Jane Doe H. v. Haskell Indian Nations University, et al. opined that Haskell is a federal institution with federal obligations, and its governance must be transparent, published, lawful and accountable. “Sovereignty” cannot be used to avoid compliance.
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/kansas/ksdce/2:2016cv02727/114102/72
The Higher Learning Consortium ‘accredited on notice” letter is a serious matter and hiring freezes and federal cutbacks will devastate Haskell’s financial wherewithal to overcome loss of accreditation. Haskell has been historically and perpetually underfunded and deferred maintenance is a significant factor in the HLC criteria standards. The HLC ‘accredited on notice” status of Haskell can be overcome but will require a strong performance recovery plan with significant federal appropriations.
Click to access PublicDisclosureNotice-HaskellIndianNationsUniversity_2025-07.pdf
The HLC “accredited notice” letter is an opportunity to develop a strong performance plan and team to overcome and strengthen the federal education trust responsibilities and Mission of Haskell. The primary focus of Haskell is to support and strengthen student achievement. In the process we will produce the Haskell crown jewel of Indian education as cited by Representative Tracey Mann (R-KAN)
Haskell is a unique place and purpose beginning with the establishment as an Indian boarding school and evolving into a four-year university. A performance plan must address the unique mission of Haskell, especially in culture recognition in deferred maintenance. The silent field of the Haskell cemetery must be cared for, and the Haskell wetlands are unique to university deferred maintenance. The Haskell cemetery and Haskell wetlands are critically important in Haskell students’ beliefs, customs and practices. Haskell has a unique campus climate that must be recognized in deferred maintenance practices.
The HLC considers the unique context of Indian universities, the distinct mission, culture, the federal trust responsibility during the accreditation process. Haskell practices sustainability to balance environmental, economic and social needs of the Indian beneficiary students. The historic and perpetual underfunding of Haskell undermines the HLC criteria of sustainability.
https://haskell.edu/about/vision/
Haskell Indian Nations University features 12 buildings designated as U. S. National Historic Landmarks including the Memorial Arch & Stadium, Haskell Cultural Center, Medicine Wheel earthwork, and Haskell Baker Wetlands. The Haskell cemetery is also a critical cultural and historic campus facility. Haskell has no credible deferred maintenance plan which is a standard in the HLC accreditation process. Failing to manage, plan for or report on significant deferred maintenance can affect Haskell’s ability to meet HLC standards for financial and structural sustainability.
The proposed Haskell Indian Nations University Improvement Act and Indian Boarding School Policies Act addresses the uniqueness and mission of Haskell, and we will look forward to passaging of the two legislations. The 250th anniversary of American’s Promise is rooted in the original lands of our Indian people.
FIRST NATIONS JOURNAL
M’gwitch, 🪶
Steve Cadue
Kickapoo Nation Kansas
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