A man was convicted of aggravated battery for injuring another man at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas.

He has been sentenced to serve 32 months in prison.

Full story at :www2.ljworld.com/news/2011/apr/19/lawrence-man-sentenced-32-months-prison-hitting-vi

haskellnews commentary 04/21/2011

Haskell Indian Nations University student, Justin McGee dies on campus.

Haskell Indian Nations University student, Justin McGee died on the Haskell Indian Nations University campus in Lawrence, Kansas, last Friday.

According to sources Justin was playing basketball at Tecumseh Hall, when he started to complain about not feeling well. He later collapsed and passed away.

Justin lived on the Haskell campus in Roe Cloud dorm.

It is unknown at this time if any Haskell staff or faculty were present at the time of the incident.

Our condolences go out to Justin's family.

haskellnews commentary

April 19, 2011

And the next President of Haskell Indian Nations University is ……

The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) reportedly has a certificate with ten qualified applicants for President of Haskell Indian Nations University, in Lawrence, Kansas. Of course the best qualified, Chris Redman, is back in Oklahoma City and essentially no one is currently in charge of Haskell. Some insiders belief the Navajo female candidate will soon be named (this would keep resident female applicant from filing any sex discrimination complaint) and others believe long-time Lakota friend to Keith Moore will be hired following the practice of hiring his buddies. Or will Dr. Linda Sue Warner be reassigned back to Haskell? Any of these choices assures the Haskell campus that Venida Chenault (VCEM) is not going to legitimately seize the helm.

In the meantime, Dr. Lionnel Bordeaux has called for a special session on Haskell at American Indian Higher Education Consortium(AIHEC's) upcoming meeting. AIHEC already has a formal resolution to remove Haskell from the BIE, and Dr. Bordeaux-once a Haskell Regent and most recently the convocation speaker for this semester, may be ready to get AIHEC to vote to cancel Haskell's membership, since it and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) are the only tribal colleges that aren't tribally operated and do not legally meet the definition of tribal college.

Tribal college presidents are used to fighting for their institutions, but usually it is against bureaucrats who reflect a tendency to interpret the world in terms of western and especially European or Anglo-American values and experiences and not like Haskell, where the leadership has to put up with a union that proposes to be so native that they don't have to really work, and instructors (there are no Professors) on that campus, who pretend to instruct through internships where students don't have to do anything except yell that they are native and have rights. That, by the way, is worth up to 8 credits.

It would be interesting to see what AIHEC presidents decide to do, especially since Dr. Bordeaux asked Haskell's resident Indian expert, the only non-Indian who gets to decide what goes on there, Dr. Dan Wildcat to make a presentation. What will be telling is what Keith Moore decides since he has made no attempt to fix the real problem at Haskell.

haskellnews commentary 04/11/2011

On Native America Calling:

"Current Events - Funding is once again being cut at Haskell, this time to the peril of several sports teams. But one group is banding together to raise the funds to keep athletics going at Haskell''.

What can we say? Congratulations to Venida Chenault?

Link: www2.ljworld.com/weblogs/haskellnews/2011/feb/28/breaking-newshaskell-indian-nations-univ

Link: http://64.38.12.138/

Or go to 04/05/2011 Indianz.com

haskellnews commentary 04/05/2011

Haskell Indian Nations University Board President George Tiger’s leadership is highlighted again.

Link: thevoicesofcourage.com/2011/03/18/recall-roger-b--george-t-petitions-filed.aspx

haskellnews commentary 04/03/2011

Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Ks, without a president after more than a year.

Dr. Linda Sue Warner, a member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma, resigned in November 2010. But she hadn't worked at the university since September 2009.

The BIE now has 10 candidates for the job but Director Keith Moore has yet to make a decision. In the meantime, Clyde Peacock will serve as interim president.

Get the Story: New interim president in charge at Haskell Indian Nations University (The Lawrence Journal World 3/28) www2.ljworld.com/news/2011/mar/28/new-interim-president-charge-haskell-indian-nation

haskellnews commentary 4/1/2011

"The Bureau of Indian Education (B.I.E.) is one of only two agencies in the Federal government that manages a school system, the other being the Department of Defense. Education is critical to ensuring a viable and prosperous future for tribal communities and American Indians. It is this Department’s goal to improve Indian education and provided quality educational opportunities for those students who attend the 183 BIE funded elementary and secondary schools and dormitories located on 64 reservations in 23 states and serving approximately 41,000 students"... Larry Echohawk, Asst' Secretary -Indian Affairs.

Larry Echohawk, has a funny way ..... as he puts it of “Advancing Indian Education".

In the above speech given on March 8th, 2011, before the Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs, Committee on Natural Resources and U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. Echohawk states that education is critical to American Indians, yet aren't American Indian schools that he is in charge of falling apart?

Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, has been without a president for two years. During that time hasn't the school taken a notable dive? Haven't graduation rates during the last two years dropped from nine percent to one percent? Have not various people been “in charge"? Are they not losing their football and volleyball teams? Have they not lost some of their best employees since the departure of Dr. Warner? Do they not have a high rate a crime for such a small campus? Isn't the head of their board of regents (George Tiger) to under- educated to try and lead a “university board”? Haven’t charges been brought against Mr.Tiger by his own tribe for missing funds? (thevoicesofcourage.com) how many times has the board under George's leadership gone to Washington D.C. and actually lobbied congress for money for Haskell? Isn't that a part of their job?

Because of Larry Echohawk's great concern for American Indian Education hasn't Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) lost their accreditation?

Maybe, there was a time Mr. Echohawk that American Indians would have just taken all of this? We are thinking that time might be over with? Don't you think tribes are going to start calling for accountability on your part? We doubt tears will do the trick this time.

haskellnews commentary March 03, 2011

Link: www.bia.gov/idc/groups/xocl/documents/text/idc013223.pdf+larry+echohawk+budge

Anyone out there believe in reincarnation? by haskellnews

Anyone out there believe in reincarnation?

This is a picture of Hilter's wife, Eva Braun.

haskellnews commentary 03/11/2011

• Picture used with permission of Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty Images

by haskellnews

“WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and NIKE, Inc. The MOU presents an opportunity for both the BIE and Nike to address health and social-lifestyle choices in American Indian and Alaska Native communities that contribute to disease and other medical conditions. Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Paul Tsosie was present on behalf of Assistant Secretary Echo Hawk for the signing ceremony May 12, 2010, at Nike’s World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.

The Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs oversees the Bureau of Indian Education, which operates the federal school system for American Indian and Alaska Native children from the federally recognized tribes. The BIE implements federal education laws, such as the No Child Left Behind Act, and provides funding to 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools and peripheral dormitories located on 64 reservations in 23 states-- serving approximately 42,000 students (School Year 2009-2010). The BIE also serves post-secondary students through higher education scholarships and support funding to 26 tribal colleges and universities and two tribal technical colleges. It directly operates two post-secondary institutions: Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan., and the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, N.M”. 05/17/2010

Instead of making deals with Nike, Mr.Larry Echohawk should be taking a good look at the schools he is in charge of. A lot of the elementary schools are in such bad shape that they would be condemned if they were not reservation schools. Haskell Indian Nations University and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute don't fair much better.

Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute lost its accreditation under Mr. Echohawk and Haskell Indian Nations University hangs on by a thread that is going to unravel at any moment.

Anyone for a pair of Nike’s? That should appease the American Indian students who aren’t really receiving an education in Mr. Echohawk’s Bureau of Indian Education schools should it not?

Read entire Bureau of Indian Education Press release at: www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Echo-Hawk-Announces-MOU-between-BIE-and-NIKE-Inc

haskellnews commentary 03/08/2011

This past week Brigham Young University's ( BYU) starting center Brandon Davies was suspended for the rest of the season for an unspecified violation of team rules.

It was with high hopes that we watched as BYU’s Larry Echohawk took the reins as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs. Unfortunately we anticipated that he would bring some of those high Mormon standards with him.

Instead those high hopes were dashed. Under pressure from Senator Pat Roberts, Larry Echohawk made a onetime quick stop at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, leaving empty teary eyed promises, never to be heard from again. He remains silent as Haskell guts its volleyball and football programs, even though Larry himself played football for Brigham Young University.

Then Larry stood by as Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, lost their accreditation.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs vs. Brigham Young University; All in all Larry Echohawk has been a disappointment for American Indian education. President Barack Obama should have left Larry at BYU.

haskellnews commentary 03/05/2011