Aug. 22, 2003

Contact: Victor Bailey, Hall Center for the Humanities, (785) 864-7822.

Ford Foundation grant explores Native American, African-American relations

LAWRENCE -- A new study by researchers at the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University will examine historical interactions between two minority communities in the United States.

The Ford Foundation has awarded $300,000 jointly to KU's Hall Center for the Humanities and Haskell. The two-year grant is the product of efforts of KU and Haskell faculty and administrators, and of groups and organizations in the Kansas-Oklahoma region.

Scholars from many fields will collaborate on "The Shifting Borders of Race and Identity: A Research and Teaching Project on the Native American and African-American Experience." The overall goal of the project is to enhance the understanding of the historical relationship between two historically significant minority communities in the United States.

"This innovative, cutting-edge project will foster research and teaching on how Native Americans and African-Americans have cooperated and conflicted with each other, and how this interaction has shaped racial and ethnic identity in America," said Victor Bailey, director of the Hall Center.

Working with community and institutional oral history projects involving Native Americans and African-Americans, researchers will examine what has been perceived as longstanding historical and cultural commonalities and differences. Faculty and graduate students from both institutions, as well as visiting fellows from historically black, tribal and community colleges, will develop curriculum for K-12 and university-level courses, a Web site with online discussion groups, and a digital oral history archive that will be widely accessible.

"Haskell is excited to be a part of this groundbreaking research and in finding ways to share this research in innovative ways with our students, faculty and with tribal communities," said Bobbi Rahder, archivist and curator at the Haskell Cultural Center and Museum.

A major goal of the project is to develop a consortium of Native American - African-American academic programs at cooperating institutions across the region. Other components of the project include seminars and conferences, and an edited collection of essays focused on Native American - African-American issues.

A highlight of the program will be a lecture this fall by Sherman Alexie Jr., screenwriter and producer of the movie "Smoke Signals." Alexie will discuss "Killing Indians: Myths, Lies and Exaggerations" at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, in the Lied Center. Regularly scheduled seminars and conferences will occur over the two-year course of the grant.

The Ford Foundation is a resource for innovative people and institutions worldwide. For more than half a century, its goals have been to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation and advance human achievement.