University, Native Americans Reach
Historic Agreement
Moeser, Representatives of 14 Native American Nations Sign Compact to
Repatriate Native Remains
The University of Nebraska Tribal Meeting on Repatriation began with
an apology and ended with a historic agreement Sept. 1.
The apology was offered by Chancellor James Moeser as he addressed
recent
disclosures concerning NU's treatment of Native American remains as well
as the handling of those remains over the past several decades.
"I want to apologize personally and on behalf of the university
for the insensitive and grievous treatment of the physical remains of
Native
Americans done in past decades in the name of science," Moeser said.
"The anger and hurt you feel as a result of this are
understandable."
The historic agreement, signed by representatives from at least 14
tribes
and five states, was one in which NU agreed to release all the
prehistoric
and historic Native American remains and burial goods on the inventory of
culturally unaffiliated remains held by the university. Within the next
four weeks, the university will arrange for examination of records and
unaffiliated
remains by the tribes. After completion of this research, the university
agrees to release the remains within 30 days.
Because federal law currently makes no provision for repatriation of
remains lacking a tribal identity, these unaffiliated remains could not,
until now, be returned to individual tribes. By coming together
collectively
to claim these remains as their own, the group of Native American leaders
presented the university with a method of changing unidentified remains
to ones that could be repatriated. They will be re-interred on lands
offered
for that purpose by the Omaha tribe.
"This was a precedent-shattering agreement which puts the
University
of Nebraska in the position of leadership nationally on the issue of
repatriation
of unaffiliated remains," said Moeser. "But we couldn't have
reached
this point without the collective leadership of the tribal
representatives.
They did the hard work."
The university also agreed to set aside and enclose areas on the
university's
East Campus where it was recently disclosed that an incident occurred
between
1965 and 1967 when Native American remains were burned in an incinerator
that has since been razed. The university agreed to "erect a
suitable
memorial under the guidance of those indigenous Nations who wish to work
on the project."
Before the day was over, the NU Academic Senate, meeting in regular
session
that afternoon, gave its support to the agreement.
Helen Long Soldier, an NU counselor and a member of the university's
Human Remains and Funerary Compliance committee, said, "As far as I
know, it's the first time that this kind of agreement has come so
smoothly,
and had this many tribal representatives involved in signing it. Other
tribes
may want to look at this example of how to let things happen."
The agreement concluded a day that began with a broad agenda. After
Moeser
offered the university's apology at the beginning of the session, the
question
foremost in the minds of the gathered tribal representatives was
"Where
do we go from here?"
Before long, it was clear that repatriation of Native American remains
was to be the primary focus of the conference, a turn that Moeser
accepted
without hesitance.
Before the public morning session concluded, the tribal
representatives
met in a closed session to hammer out a formal proposal.
The proposal was accepted by Moeser on behalf of the university when
the open meeting resumed.
Although the agreement itself was made quickly, the sessions preceding
formulation of the draft provided representatives of the gathered tribes
an opportunity to express their feelings in regard to what they viewed as
desecration of the graves of their ancestors. Allen Hare, representative
of the Yankton Sioux Tribe, made it clear that the question of
unaffiliated
remains was not a question requiring prolonged investigation.
"The unaffiliated remains all come from Mother Earth. They should
be returned to nourish the soil, bring food to people," he said.
Louis LaRose of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, noted that a recent
survey conducted by the Omaha World-Herald found that 70 percent of
Nebraskans
want remains and associated artifacts returned. LaRose, in pleading his
case, spoke of restless spirits roaming the earth and the responsibility
for returning their disturbed remains to the earth. Andrew Tate of the
Northern
Ponca Tribe of Nebraska recalled his experiences in helping in reburial
of Native American remains. He spoke of the fears of members of other
tribes
who came to take part in the ceremony. They told of unseen spirit sounds
in the night, of babies crying, women wailing, and drums sounding.
The next day, he said, he was moved by the sight of the remains to be
interred. "There were bones sawed in half, babies' skulls with holes
drilled in them, and numbered tags attached. I saw tears in the eyes of
the elders, and I wondered where are the rest of the bones?"
Tears, mostly of joy, were shed by Native Americans as the agreement
was signed by Moeser and each tribal representative. Some wept, some
nodded
and smiled while a blessing was given and a song of celebration was sung.
"Today is one of the greatest days," said Randy Thomas of
the
Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska. "All the tribes pulled together and
look what we accomplished."
Chancellor Opens Repatriation Discussions
Text of Chancellor James Moeser's remarks at opening of Sept. 1
Repatriation
talks:
On behalf of the University, I welcome all participants on this very
serious and significant occasion.
I personally want to acknowledge the presence of tribal leaders,
spiritual
leaders, and elders, who have come to our campus. Thank you for joining
us. We have a diversity of tribes represented and I hope that you will
help
us to be sensitive to matters of protocol and custom during this meeting.
Please feel free to offer your guidance in these matters.
The fact that all of you, Regent Hassebrook, and I are gathered here
today demonstrates that we share a strong desire to develop an honorable
and cooperative working relationship, and a commitment to repatriation of
Native American remains.
I want to apologize personally and on behalf of the university for the
insensitive and grievous treatment of the physical remains of Native
Americans
done in past decades in the name of science. The anger and hurt that you
feel as a result of this are certainly understandable.
Early in its history, the University of Nebraska and other academic
institutions
began excavating, collecting, receiving and housing Native American
remains
and burial goods. For decades, researchers at this university and others
were party to a destruction of Native American cemeteries and burial
grounds.
Once the remains were brought to the university, they were not always
treated
respectfully. Many have been destroyed, damaged, or lost. Furthermore, we
have not been active enough in reaching out to tribal leaders to
facilitate
repatriation. With deep sadness, on behalf of the university, I offer
humble
apologies to the tribal nations and to the Native American peoples for
these
violations of human decency.
While many of us were not at the university during the time when
certain
events took place, that fact does not diminish our feelings of sorrow and
shame about the mistreatment of Native American remains on our campus. We
have come to realize our need for increased vigilance and understanding.
It has been a painful but an educational process.
My concern about past practices at the university extends to the
distressing
accounts of events of the past year which, in my view, have caused a
serious
loss of public trust and confidence in the university. Two major
investigations
are currently in progress on campus, addressing allegations of
wrongdoing.
The General Counsel of the University of Nebraska hired Mr. Robert
Grimit,
Lincoln attorney and past President of the Nebraska Bar Association, to
conduct an investigation which began last May. In addition, the Nebraska
State Patrol is conducting an independent investigation. We welcome the
scrutiny of these inquiries and will continue to cooperate fully with
them.
If either of these investigations discloses evidence of illegal or
unprofessional
conduct, their findings will be made available to appropriate legal and
disciplinary authorities for their review. As these important
investigations
are still in progress on campus, I am sure you will understand that in my
position as Chancellor, it will not be possible at this time for me to
engage
in discussions of specific allegations or the details of the
investigations.
I pledge to you that we will make every effort to ensure a full public
disclosure of what has happened with regard to Native American remains on
this campus, both before and after the passage of NAGPRA.
In the meantime, while the investigations progress to their
conclusion,
we want to proceed with consultation with individual tribes concerning
our
inventory, and we want to work together to achieve the repatriation of
all
Native American remains currently being held at the university, in a
systematic,
accurate, and respectful manner in compliance with federal law. I
emphasize
that it is our policy to work towards repatriation of affiliated and
unaffiliated
Native American remains, even though there currently are no federal
regulations
for repatriation of the unaffiliated. NAGPRA makes it clear how Native
Americans
whose tribal identity is known are to be repatriated. We pledge full
cooperation
in consulting under NAGPRA to work toward reducing the number of remains
in our inventory whose affiliation was listed as unknown at the time of
the 1995 inventory reported to the National Park Service. It is our
fervent
hope that a process can be developed for repatriation of the unaffiliated
that is consistent with federal laws. I seek your recommendations as to
how to accomplish this and to expedite repatriation of all the
remains.
Among the inventory of human remains in the university repository are
those of individuals who are not covered by NAGPRA. There have been
questions
regarding the university's intentions for those remains. I will ask our
faculty to take the lead in developing policies to respond to these
questions,
mindful of all that we have learned and are learning from our recent
experiences.
I intend to account as fully as possible for the university's past
relationship
with Native Americans and their ancestors. I seek to create an open
working
relationship with all ethnic communities in Nebraska and throughout the
country on the issue of repatriation. I expect full cooperation from all
members of the academic community of the University of Nebraska in this
long overdue endeavor so that we can work toward reconciliation and
rebuilding
a relationship of trust. To that end, we seek your ethical guidance, your
religious and spiritual leadership, and your collective wisdom.
Senate Affirms Repatriation Agreement
By Kim Hachiya, Public Relations
After Chancellor James Moeser told the Academic Senate he had accepted
an agreement with a number of Native American peoples under which the
university
will repatriate all remains in its possession, the senate voted to affirm
his acceptance.
Calling the agreement a "moral imperative," Moeser said he
knew it would probably spark some controversy in scientific circles, but
added, "I believe this is right."
And controversy did erupt in the senate. Walter Mientka, mathematics
and statistics, offered a motion endorsing Moeser's agreement. According
to senate rules, motions must be presented at one meeting and voted upon
at a subsequent meeting unless declared an emergency.
Several in the senate disagreed that the endorsement was an emergency.
Don Jensen, psychology, said the motion was a "hasty" move
towards
political correctness and amounted to being "overly rewarding to the
administration." Gerard Harbison, chemistry, said the federal law
governing
repatriation has had "deleterious effects to archeology" and
"suppresses
science."
Jim Ford, English, said the motion seemed "eminently
reasonable"
and would help the administration show good faith.
Peter Bleed, anthropology, agreed that the decision would be
controversial
for some but added "I can think of no one who will not welcome this
agreement. I commend the university leadership on this issue."
Ultimately the senate endorsed the motion with Harbison as the lone
dissenter.
Moeser praised Priscilla Grew, vice chancellor for research, for her
efforts as NAGPRA coordinator.
"We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Priscilla Grew. Her
personal
devotion to this cause has moved us along in this moral area."
Moeser said the repatriation issue has been a "trying and
difficult
period for the university.
"I hope that this agreement is the beginning of the end of the
this
painful period. We have been dealing with our own history and cultural
ignorance.
I hope we can learn from it and be a better university because of
it."
Prime Vendor Computer Contract Should Save Dollars
Contract Targets PCs From IBM, HP, COMPaq
By Kim Hachiya, Public relations
Anew prime vendor contract for computer purchases has the potential to
save money and time, said Tom Hansen, manager of computer acquisitions
for
the university.
The regents in June approved the contract with CompuCom Systems of
Dallas,
Hansen said. He estimated the contract is worth about $3 million.
The main advantage, Hansen said, is that the university now can
purchase
as much as $250,000 worth of computers without having to go through
formal
bids. This is helpful because in a bid process, the university must by
law
take the lowest bid for comparable specifications, even if that isn't
necessarily
the best option, Hansen said.
The new contract allows more standardization among actual computers.
With fewer varieties of machines, network hookups and technical support
are easier. "About 75 percent of the lifetime costs of a computer
are
in support and maintenance," he said. "This should
substantially
reduce costs in both those areas."
Hansen said the university negotiated prices with CompuCom that are as
low as catalog warehouse prices. The company promises quick delivery
directly
to departments. Eventually, departments will be able to order directly
off
the Web with little "intervention" between the computer vendor
and Information Technology Services. That, Hansen said, will save an
unknown
quantity of paperwork and administrative time.
Low, mid and high end desktop systems by IBM, HP and Compaq have been
identified and priced. All items in the catalog are available, but the
best
prices are on the special bid items.
Personal computer purchases also can be made through the prime
vendor.
The contract is non-exclusive, Hansen said, meaning that machines made
by companies other than IBM, HP and Compaq still can be purchased. The
university
will maintain an agreement with Apple Computer for purchases. Laptop
purchases
will be handled through the ITS Computer Sales shop.
When the university first began exploring this option about 18 months
ago, Hansen said, the top choice vendor was Cedar Computer of Des Moines.
CompuCom Systems subsequently purchased that company, he said. CompuCom
conducts some $2 billion in sales annually and is well-known in the
commercial
vending area. It is moving more aggressively into state and educational
markets.
Nebraska is among the first universities to adopt a prime vendor model
for computer purchases, Hansen said. MIT and Cornell also have these
systems.
"When we started 18 months ago, there weren't hardly any
universities
we could use as a model. Now, others are calling us up and asking us how
we did it. They want to learn from our mistakes," Hansen said.
It's difficult to estimate the total savings, he said, but it could be
as much as $500,000 over three years. While the prices for the computers
average 5 percent to 10 percent below market price, the real savings will
be indirect costs such as paperwork and support.
The contract is open to all University of Nebraska campuses.
For more information, contact Hansen at 472-8398 or Nancy Storant at
472-5902.
PROFESSORS JIM CARR AND PAUL KELTER show off their new
chemistry
textbook, Chemistry: A World of Choices. The book uses real-world
examples
to make the subject more accessible to new students.
Better Loving Through Chemistry
By Peg Strain, Public Relations
Why do fools fall in love?
"Chemistry," professors Jim Carr and Paul Kelter respond to
the query of that 60s pop tune in a new textbook written for non-science
majors. What attracts one human being to another might just be of appeal
to 18-year-olds and it's the topic of the book's prelude. And throughout
their book, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln chemistry professors
deftly
relate the importance of everyday chemistry to liberal arts students who
have long lamented: "Why do I have to study this stuff,
anyway?"
From the prelude of "Chemistry: A World of Choices," the two
professors explain real life depends upon chemistry to make everything
happen,
not just the first sparks of spiritual fire between two people falling in
love.
"We think it forces them to realize that many of the issues in
society today have chemical roots," said Carr, who has taught at the
university since 1966 and has been honored with prestigious teaching
awards.
"A lot of people are forced to learn math and science. Some crawl
through
it, leap over or skirt around it. But we think the country would be a lot
better off if more people understood science issues. In our own small
way,
we're trying to solve that problem."
Kelter, who won the Lincoln Student Body Outstanding Teacher of the
Year
in 1996 and 1997, said, "Many books on the market are the chemistry
equivalent of infomercials. There is not a great deal of sense and
purpose
to the world beyond science and a sense that the understanding that you
have of this subject has an impact upon the choices you make."
For example, their new text being used at NU in Chemistry 105 this
semester,
explores the pros and cons of steroid use, oxygenated fuel and nuclear
power,
and genetic engineering. Published in August by WCB McGraw-Hill,
"The
book differs from others because we have taken hard issues and not backed
away from making choices. We have to have people involved in making tough
societal choices," Kelter said.
Each chapter begins with a short, well-written narrative about the
chosen
subject that isn't the typical flat, wearisome stuff likely to have a
soporific
effect upon the student who is not stalking a Nobel science prize in
later
life. The narrative succinctly crystallizes and signals the onset of the
hard chemistry content. Lyrics from the Beatles' "Here Comes the
Sun"
open a chapter about solar power and Samuel Coleridge's 1798 "Water,
Water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink" from the "Rime of the
Ancient Mariner" unfolds a chapter about the properties of water. To
quote from the old Alka-Seltzer ad with which the authors launch a
chapter
about acids and bases: "Plop plop, fizz, fizz. Oh, what a relief it
is."
Traditionally, chemistry has been taught for the chemistry major,
although
some books existed that simplified the content for liberal arts majors
who
got this so-called "chemistry for poets." But with new national
emphasis on more math and science training for American students today,
there is a new market for textbooks that effectively teach the
non-science
major who will become the future business or community leader.
Kelter, who also collaborated on the book with science writer and
consultant
Andrew Scott said, "We are different because we are current. We
started
from scratch. We threw out the recipe and I hope students will find it
useful.
Students want to get to the bottom line, but we think if you give
students
something worth reading they will read it. We insist that students like
to think. But we also insist that everybody likes to enjoy a 'good
read.'"
Moeser Speaks to Reallocation Issues
By Kim Hachiya, Public Relations
Chancellor James Moeser told the Academic Senate on Sept. 1 that he
does
not envision "massive" reallocation efforts being needed for
the
university to meet its "unfunded imperatives."
Moeser elaborated on his Aug. 21 State of the University remarks in
which
he said the university has many required initiatives that will need to be
funded in the next biennium. These "unfunded imperatives"
include
costs associated with connection to Internet 2, making up a deficit in
funding
for merit scholarships, extending health insurance benefits to graduate
assistants and extending tuition waiver to dependents.
"I think we can do these with very modest adjustments, not
massive
reallocations," Moeser said. "I don't envision a replication of
last year. I suspect we will be talking numbers well below 1 percent and
certainly not to exceed that."
Moeser said that should the state's economy sour and the
constitutional
lid pass in November, the university will be in a more precarious
position.
He noted that NU has received some large donations in the past few
months
and the temptation to use these gifts to make up for state-funding
shortfalls
must be resisted because doing so would not allow qualitative
improvements
and would send the message to donors that private philanthropy replaces,
not augments, the state's dollars.
Moeser also spoke to the university's drop in U.S. News and World
Report
rankings. Saying the university takes rankings very seriously, he
suggested
that by meeting his goals of increasing freshmen retention rates and
six-year
graduation rates, the university will improve its standing. He also said
that the university needs to look at class sizes to improve
faculty/student
ratios.
"Ultimately, we need to what is academically sound and right, not
just study for the test," he said.
In other discussion, Vice Chancellor Rick Edwards agreed to extend the
deadline by which departments should develop performance standards for
faculty.
Some argued that the request was sent to departments too late last spring
for faculty to act before the Oct. 1 deadline.
Edwards said it is important for some written, evaluative standards to
exist so faculty have know what is expected of them to meet satisfactory
or adequate performance.
Senate President Patricia Kennedy announced that some parking permits
were available for use on city campus when the senate meets downtown and
that the bids for renovation of the TKE fraternity building were too
high.
The building, which eventually will house the senate and other offices,
needs extensive remodeling. The project will be rebid this fall.
Gail Latta, president elect, said the university has applied to the
American
Association for Higher Education for a grant to support implementation of
the post-tenure review process. She should know by the end of September
whether the application was successful.
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