This article originally appeared in the Liberty Press, Dec, 1999.

On Monday, January 24, 2000, under pressure from many people in the Haskell community, Crawford resigned his position as student body pesident.
 
 
 
 

-- Deb Taylor lives in Lawrence, Kansas and can be reached at dtaylor@debtaylor.com.

The warm and inviting Haskell of today bears little academic resemblance to the campus of 1884 where, according to Clark Coan, "Haskell Institute"--as it was then known--was a "virtual concentration camp as Indian children as young as four years of age face[d] systematic brutalization and [were] subject to unsanitary and harsh conditions." 

Haskell institute was created by the Federal Government to remove tribal culture and instill the dominant White (European) culture, or "Kill the Indian; Save the Man." The idea was to take Indians as children and keep them for eight or more years so they would lose their culture and their language.

The mission failed. Haskell Institute created people who fit neither culture. So, the government turned Haskell into a trade school. Around this time, the "outing system" began: Indian students were "rented" out in the summers to the Lawrence community to perform unskilled labor. Lawrence residents paid the Superintendent (a government employee) of Haskell. 

Around 1957, "outing" ceased and over the years Haskell wore many faces (including an elementary school and community college) before it finally became present-day Haskell Indian Nations University. 

Haskell’s dark past is known and remembered by all Haskell students. To them, and to its current Student Body President, Prentice Crawford, Haskell represents a "beacon of hope" for Indian nations. Reflected Crawford, "Haskell once destroyed our culture. Now, it promotes our culture."

Prentice Crawford loves Haskell and he enjoys serving as its President. His grandparents, great grandparents, and many other relatives went to Haskell, mostly before it carried the reputation it holds today. He is a proud Indian who was culturally raised in the Osage tribe (he grew up in Hominy, Oklahoma) but also has Cherokee and Dakota blood. Geoffrey M. Standing Bear, former legislative counsel of the Osage Nation, once noted that the traditional Osage traits are "wisdom, courage, frankness, boldness and a little bit of arrogance." Crawford has those traits, and he wears them well. He’s strong of mind and a big advocate for Indian rights.

He’s also gay.

Prentice Crawford is a big man. If you’re into gay male stereotyping, you wouldn’t pick Crawford out as the gay on the sidewalk. If you’re a gay basher, Crawford is not the kind of guy you’d choose to pick a fight with unless you like the feel of a cement sidewalk brushed against your cheek and forehead.

Crawford’s tall, like his people. In 1811, John Bradbury noted in his journal: "The Osage are so tall and robust as almost to warrant the application of the term gigantic; few of them appear to be under six feet tall, and many are above it. Their shoulders and visages are broad, which tends to strengthen the idea of their being giants." Crawford added that most of his male ancestors were over seven feet tall.

At 33 years of age, Crawford brings lots of wisdom and inner strength to Haskell, after having been forced to search within the deepest part of himself years ago. In his early twenties, Crawford was convicted of accessory to murder after the fact and served almost five years in prison. While there, he had to confront his own shame and the horribly untrue things that were said to him during his trial.

He also confronted his homosexuality.

Crawford has been around homosexuals his entire life, having known many in his tribe. He also knew that before "contact," or the point when Whites first invaded Indian land, homosexuality was not negatively regarded in tribes. Indeed, among native American tribes there is a long-standing tradition of "Two Spiritedness." According to Clyde Hall, an enrolled member of the Shoshone tribe and a practitioner of Two Spirit traditions, the traditional Two Spirit was always the go-between for the spiritual and the physical, or Spirit and Earth. In a 1999 interview with Bo Young, Hall stated that:

"[The Two Spirits] were always on the cusp of things. They were the ones who invented new songs, new manners of dress, new styles of different things . . .they were always on that level. When the explorers first came amongst Indian tribes, who was it that went out and met them? It was the Two Spirited people because they were curious . . They were always the vanguard of meeting people, creating bridges."

Among the Sioux, "winkte" was the term for men who dressed as women (now the term more broadly refers to homosexuals). The Cheyenne used the term "hamene" and the Shoshone used "tená-wipeh." Winktes, noted Crawford, were viewed as having gifts of prophecy. He added that some even viewed winktes as a manifestation of the Creator. 

After "contact," homosexuality began to take on the more White attitude of negativity and deviance. Fortunately for Crawford, homosexuality was not a big issue in his family. Nevertheless, he had to come to private terms with it as he set about learning who he was.

Who is Prentice Crawford? According to him, people view him as a "severe, stubborn, and sometimes downright unpleasant person [who] somehow can get things done." He’s not Mr. Popular, but he knows how to work and fight for Haskell. That’s why he won by a landslide in Haskell’s student body presidential election in Spring 1999.

Crawford’s time as President has been dominated by what has become known as the "South Lawrence Trafficway" issue, or SLT. It’s a fight that deals with land rights and honor and keeping promises. Incredibly, even as we near 2000, American Indians are still fighting for the preservation of what is theirs. Haskell is no exception. 

The Haskell Wetlands are on sacred land. Crawford stated that in the late 1800’s, Indian children who had been taken to Haskell Institute by force would sneak away to the wetlands to meet their parents. Other children went there to practice their religion in secret for fear of being beaten if caught. Clark cites reports that many are secretly buried in unmarked graves in wetlands. Crawford agreed, adding that "It is heresy to disturb burial spots."

Somewhere along the way--around the late 1980s or early 1990s--the alignment of the SLT changed and suddenly it was slated to go through the Haskell Wetlands. This decision was made in the interest of housing and construction, and to the detriment of the wetlands. 

The battle continues today with each group--Lawrence officials and Haskell University--accusing each other of foul play. Crawford said the City thinks Haskell is holding out for money. "They just don’t get it," he stated. "That land is sacred, a holy place. And no amount of money is going to change that."

The effort to save the Haskell Wetlands has united Haskell’s campus community. They share the Native belief in the sanctity of Earth. They believe in reciprocity, or the exchange between themselves and nature: what they get from Nature, they return. This is in stark contrast to the European philosophy that property and wealth have to be developed and processed. "We don’t see the world through the same eyes," concluded Crawford.

Indians don’t exercise political activism the same way, either. So don’t expect to see Haskell’s gay and lesbian community walking down crowded Lawrence streets screaming "We’re here! We’re queer! Get used to it!" anytime soon.

Crawford said a lot of gays and lesbians go to Haskell. Perhaps five to ten percent, and it might even be closer to ten percent since so many are closeted. Crawford thinks the majority are gay men; there are not nearly as many lesbians. If there are a lot of lesbians, "they are extremely hidden," said Crawford.

Do Haskell’s gays and lesbians feel safe on campus and are they comfortable being gay? Crawford doesn’t know for sure, because he hasn’t initiated that type of dialogue with them. An don’t expect to see Crawford taking up the queer cause alone. That’s because "we don’t do anything in a vacuum as native people," he stated. "What we do has to come from consensus for the most part. I would never walk into a place and say we’re going to do this and that."

Indians also don’t believe in interfering in other people’s lives. "It’s a big taboo in our culture to impose your views onto others," stated Crawford. "It is foreign to us."

If this is the case, then how can Crawford find out if a problem exists on campus and if gays and lesbians feel unsafe? He’s hoping this article will initiate discussion for starters, especially if the problem of safety is larger than he realized. In fact, he would like to identify and quantity the issues and work towards more education, particularly on issues like safe sex and AIDS.

Crawford realizes the struggles gay and lesbian Indians face. Haskell is made up of many tribes with many cultures and religions. Numerous students were brought up in tribes and others were brought up in the Western culture. So, the campus has a mix of those who wouldn’t question the existence of gays and lesbians and those who view homosexuality as an abomination.

Added to this equation is the fact that Haskell gays and lesbians are already often discriminated against because they are Indians. Even in Lawrence, many students are followed around by employees when they go into stores. So, they risk being accused of stealing as well as morally ruining our society. The perceived threat, then, is not too difficult to see, especially for those who are not comfortable with their homosexuality.

Crawford can’t offer a solution, but he knows that students who victimize other students are rejected by the Haskell campus. And although he has never initiated dialogue with the Haskell administration on discrimination against gays and lesbians, Crawford firmly believes that blatant discrimination would be appropriately handled by both the Dean of Students and the Student Rights Specialist. Crawford also noted that Haskell is a federal university; therefore, discrimination at Haskell would have to be handled by the administration under equal treatment laws established by the federal government.

Crawford can’t see homosexuality being an issue that would separate the campus. Still, he worries about those who are afraid because they are intimidated by the perceived "possibility," and not by actual fact. Crawford believes that for some, "all they need to know is that it’s okay to be true to themselves."

Being true to himself is something Crawford has had to learn over the years. He doesn’t profess to have all the answers, and he doesn’t pretend to be the Voice of how gays and lesbians feel at Haskell. But he wants to lead by example, reasoning that "we live by our actions." 

Crawford firmly believes in introspection and learning by experience and being true to his ancestors. He also believes that anyone can succeed, even if they have a "sordid past" and are gay like Crawford. "Being gay isn’t a reason to feel you’re any less or without a voice," he affirmed.

Years from now, the sun will still rise over Haskell Indian Nations University, the place that Crawford reveres and vigorously protects and defends. Hopefully, the sun will continue to rise over the Haskell Wetlands, and future dawns will see more bright students like Crawford learning the value of ancestry, and honor, and being true to oneself.
 
 

References to Bo Young’s interview with Clyde Hall first appeared in the White Crane Journal and can be viewed in its current location at www.spiritgatherings.org. 

References from Clark Coan’s study on the Haskell-Baker Wetlands and the South Lawrence Trafficway can be viewed at: www.larryville.com/sltchron.htm. 

All citations are used with permission of the authors.