High Country Times

WASHINGTON – Today, Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee Chairman Burgess Owens (R-UT) delivered a statement at a joint subcommittee hearing with the Committee on Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. The hearing was titled "Investigating How the Biden Administration Ignored Cries for Help from Students at Haskell Indian Nations University."

"The Committee gathers today to address the many scandals plaguing Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU). This institution is one of two postsecondary schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), tasked to provide high-quality education to Native American students. Instead, it is plagued with a history of mismanagement, abuse, and corruption. The issues we’re discussing today are not only a disgrace to the university and federal government entities responsible but also to students and faculty harmed due to lack of metrics and accountability," Owens stated.

"This permissive and toxic mindset has thrived for too long and has negatively impacted numerous Native American lives. For too long, this community has suffered from a lack of true and accountable oversight. For too long, the soft bigotry of low expectations has prevailed when it comes to the Native American community," he continued.

Owens highlighted that the dysfunction at HINU is symptomatic of systemic failures within the Bureau of Indian Education. "The Bureau’s oversight has been inadequate, allowing problems to fester unchecked," he said.

He attributed these failures to the Bureau, Secretary Haaland’s oversight, and by extension, President Joe Biden's administration. Owens suggested that future administrations should prioritize rectifying these issues starting with President Trump.

"The students at Haskell have been deprived of what should be the number one guarantee in our educational system, a safe learning environment," Owens remarked. He cited allegations from an investigative report that included bullying, harassment, multiple failures to address sexual assault cases, and a general culture of unresponsiveness to student complaints.

"Perhaps more troublesome is that the report’s eventual production was delayed. Evidence points to possible omissions and alterations to the final publicly available copy. With each new development, the academic integrity of the institution has been severely compromised," he added.

Owens expressed his anticipation for testimonies from witnesses who experienced misconduct at HINU. He emphasized that BIE would need to explain how such exploitation was tolerated in an institution under its operation.

In conclusion, Owens stressed that reforms must be implemented to prevent future harm to Native American students: "This Committee must oversee the implementation of reforms that will prevent future generations of Native American students from being harmed."