A new endowment fund approved by the Haskell Board of Regents may help give the school a much-needed boost.

It’s unfortunate that Haskell Indian Nations University is facing a financial setback, but the Haskell Board of Regents’ decision this week to establish an endowment fund for the school seems a common sense approach to trying to ease the budget crunch.

The fund apparently would serve much the same purpose for Haskell as the Kansas University Endowment Association serves for KU. As state funding has tightened in recent years, private donations to the KU endowment have taken a larger role in promoting the university’s educational mission. Loyal alumni and friends with special connections to KU help support the school that means so much to them.

Many Haskell graduates also have a special feeling for their alma mater. And the tribes from across the country who have sent students to Haskell know the important contribution the school makes to those students. The federal government has a responsibility to provide educational opportunities for American Indian students, but just as many KU supporters want more for the university than the state can provide, many Haskell supporters probably would like to see more for their school than federal funding will supply.

Haskell could be a true gem for American Indian studies, preserving the history and traditions of the past and preparing students for the challenges of the future. Although it’s now apparent that the founding premise of Haskell Institute was misguided and often cruel, in more recent years, the school has served as a focal point for American Indian culture and provided many educational opportunities for Indian young people.

Additional private funding from individuals and perhaps tribal organizations could help raise Haskell’s prestige and influence to the next level. Hopefully the newly approved endowment association will provide a useful vehicle to attract that kind of financial support.