The early history of Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, is one of forced assimilation and persistence.

Founded in 1884 as a government-run Indian boarding school, Haskell initially featured an educational system intent on destroying the tribal identity of its Native students. As those students pressed on, however, their experiences and perseverance helped chart a new direction celebrating Native peoples and their culture. Haskell evolved into a leading institute of higher education for American Indians and Alaskan Natives.

Historian Eric Anderson discusses the tumultuous—yet formative—first 25 years of the university’s history, examining its roots, development, curriculum, and student body. He is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and professor of history in Haskell’s Indigenous and American Indian Studies department.

For presentation slides, click here.