First Nations Journal

Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) is a totally federally funded institution established in 1884 and was originally called the United States Indian Industrial Training School.  The U. S. federal school’s mission was to forcibly assimilate Indian children into mainstream America.  “Kill the Indian in Him and save the Man” was the ideology of the U.S. government Indian training school directly and totally funded by the U. S. government. Haskell is a totally Indian dependent political status institution as cited in Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831).  Haskell’s operating budget is presented to Congress by the U S Secretary of the Interior and is totally dependent upon the mercy of the Congress’ discretion.  Indian beneficiaries at Haskell have no control or authority in budget formulation.   

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/30/1

Haskell has been historically and perpetually underfunded for decades and the Haskell board of trustees, the Secretary of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education remain silent and are in mismanagement in the downward spiral.  This breach of fiduciary breach of trust has prompted the proposed Haskell Indian Nations University Improvement Act by Congress.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4085/text

Haskell receives federal education assistance monies and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).  The Haskell Board of trustees’ mismanagement has caused the HLC to place Haskell on “Accredited on Notice” and failure to correct the out of compliance with HLC’s criteria will result in loss of accreditation to Haskell.  Haskell is a federal government institution created by the federal government unlike Indian colleges and universities.  Haskell is not a tribal college.  HLC’s limited knowledge of Haskell’s total financial dependency on Congress portends a dangerous outcome to the overcoming of HLC accreditation criteria.

First Nations Journal expresses that just as the Cobell v. Salazar case forced the Department of the Interior to rebuild its entire trust-accounting system after their decades of federal mismanagement, the Haskell Indian Nations University Improvement Act shows the same need for structural reform in federal Indian education.  Cobell exposed a broken system of oversight.  Haskell exposes a broken system of governance.  Both point to the same truth when the federal trustee fails its responsibilities, Indian people pay the price—and only real reform can fix it.  Haskell should be the crown jewel of Indian education and First Nations Journal looks forward to passage of the HINU Improvement Act by Congress. 

https://www.doi.gov/ocl/hearings/111/CobellvsSalazar_121709

                                        FIRST NATIONS JOURNAL

M’gwitch 🪶

Steve Cadue

Kickapoo Nation Kansas