Haskell Cultural Center and Museum
Creation of the Haskell Cultural Center and Museum:
The Haskell Cultural Center and Museum officially opened its doors on September 14, 2012. A proposal to fund the $1.3 million building was granted by the American Indian College Fund, as well as with contributions from individuals, the Lily Fund and the W.K. Kellogg Fund. The 6,000 square foot building is constructed out of Cypress Logs from Florida.
The first floor includes a visitor’s desk, small tribal bookshop, as well as an interpretive exhibition space. The display area has a marmoleum-tiled replica of Haskell’s Medicine Wheel, which is an earthwork south of the campus which students use to conduct traditional prayer ceremony. The lower level of the Cultural Center has three HVAC systems to provide environmentally controlled storage for the collections and archival materials. The collections are kept at a constant 68 Degree F and a relative humidity level of 50% to ensure they are protected and properly cared for in an archival environment designed to preserve all items. There is also a state of the art compact storage shelving system to hold the large museum and archival collections. The research room is located on the lower level where it allows researchers access to the archival materials. The data base project for these materials remains unfinished at the moment. The Cultural Center’s collections data base is complete and researchers, students and staff have full access to that data base upon request.
About the Cultural Center and Museum:
The Haskell Archives are located in the Cultural Center. The Archive collection currently includes records and manuscripts that reflect Haskell’s History both as an educational institution and as a historical landmark. The collection contains school records, newspapers, yearbooks, photographs of faculty students and staff, as well as photographs pertaining to Haskell’s buildings and campus features.
Haskell’s unique history reflects the history of Native Education, evolving from boarding school to a fully accredited university. The records contained in the Haskell archives are vitally important both historically to Haskell faulty, students, staff and alumni family but also to researchers of tribal history and education.
The Cultural Center is a living Center that provides a place for faculty, staff, students, alumni and general researchers to conduct research not only on the topic of Tribal education but on their families whom have attended and excelled at Haskell in the past. The Cultural Center also serves as a gallery space for student and alumni Art work and Tribal Cultural work to be displayed and used to educate on the Importance of the diverse History Haskell holds in relation to unique Tribal History that exists throughout Indian Country.
The Cultural Center is also a place where students can gain hands on learning experience in cultural preservation management and museum studies while working with the collections and fulfilling their internship requirements. The Cultural Center provides a foundation for future Tribal archivists and Tribal cultural center and museum managers. The long term vision of Haskell Cultural Center is to become a national center for Tribal and American Indian research, education and Cultural programs.
Vision
The vision of the Haskell Cultural Center and Museum is to respectfully serve as a steward of living Tribal materials, traditions and cultural arts. The cultural Center provides present day and historical information regarding Haskell’s history since 1884, Tribal cultural art, exhibitions, educational programs and research.
Mission
The Mission of the Haskell Cultural Center and Museum is to truthfully convey the story of Haskell’s remarkable evolution from a government boarding school to its present day fully accredited University serving Tribal students. The Cultural Center celebrates the living heritage and culture of all tribal peoples today. It strives to continue the legacy of education through culturally based exhibitions, educational programs, traditional/cultural art classes and internships. It serves as a teaching facility for Haskell students, staff, faculty, alumni, researchers and general public.