2014-15: Support for Haskell Indian Nations University Feasibility Study

WHEREAS, the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) was established in 1970 for the purpose of advocating, planning, and promoting the unique and special educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians; and

WHEREAS, NIEA, as the largest national Indian organization of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian educators, administrators, parents, and students in the United States, provides a forum to discuss and act upon issues affecting the education of Indian and Native people; and

WHEREAS, through its unique relationship with Indian nations and tribes, the federal government has established programs and resources to meet the educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, residing on and off their reserved or non-reserved homelands; and

WHEREAS, the Education Committee of the Affiliated Tribe of Northwest Indians (ATNI) has considered a report submitted by Professor Alan Parker, a Citizen of the Chippewa Cree Tribal Nation and Faculty to the Maori Indigenous University regarding the recommendations of leaders of the Maori University regarding the feasibility of establishing at Haskell Indian Nations University an International Indigenous Nations Graduate University; and

WHEREAS the Board of Trustees of Haskell Indian Nations University has favorably considered this proposal as their most recent annual meeting in Lawrence, Kansas and has communicated their support to the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Education; and

WHEREAS the Nez Perce Tribal leaders have also favorably considered this report and have requested their Congressman, Mike Simpson, (2nd District-Idaho) to request authorization for a feasibility study on this proposal to be undertaken in FY 2015 by Haskell and for such authorization to be included in the Committee Report of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; and

WHEREAS Haskell Indian Nations University has served tribal students from the Pacific Northwest for many years as a school operated with federal support and direction from the Bureau of Indian Education to serve tribal students who are located on remote Indian reservations; and

WHEREAS, Haskell was elevated to its “University” status in 1993 after existing since 1887 as Haskell Indian Institute, a Bureau of Indian Affairs Boarding School; and

WHEREAS, Haskell now serves over 1,000 tribal students and is a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) of tribal colleges and AIHEC will serve as the primary source of tribal students who wish to pursue higher level graduate studies with the Maori and other students from Indigenous Nations across the Pacific Rim as well as the Sami People of Norway and Sweden; and

WHEREAS, NIEA has considered the report of Professor Parker and has concluded that this proposal for Haskell to undertake a feasibility as requested be the Maori is worthy of consideration and wishes to propose that the tribal delegates of the NIEA fully support this worthy endeavor;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NIEA does hereby support the Maori proposal to establish an International Indigenous Nations Graduate University at Haskell Indian Nations University but requests the need for consultation with the Haskell Advisory Board throughout the process; and