To the editor:

George Lauppe never got stuck on “Gumbo Road,” but like many Bureau of Indian Affairs officials who ran Haskell in the 1950s, his mind is still mired in the 19th century. (Take a Stand, Aug. 8) Back in the 1890s, “49s” were one of the primary targets of the government’s efforts to suppress Indian “dancing,” which explains why they took place in the wetlands where students sought refuge from those who made a career of stamping out the Indian in them.

He insinuated that I call this spiritual place “worthless swampland.” That pejorative phrase referred to well-documented beliefs of most Americans, including Lawrencians who selected land for the Indian boarding school back in 1882. Some folks still think that way in 2005.

In addition to the wetland, Lauppe makes reference to other land “surplussed” during his era at Haskell. Imagine if KU officials gave away nearly 700 acres of their campus. He is welcome to step into my backyard to refresh his memory about the five terraces of fill that are still clearly visible between Broken Arrow School and the remaining land on Haskell’s west side.

Lauppe asserts that Roger Boyd “has finally come forward to admit” that Haskell Bottoms is big enough for both “the manmade Boyd Lake” and the SLT. Like others of his generation who selected Indian mascot team names, he obviously intended to “honor” the Boyd legacy. In truth I suspect he would not object if KDOT paved every inch of the wetlands.

Michael Caron,

Lawrence