This article has been updated to reflect Spring 2025 enrollment and demographic statistics at Haskell Indian Nations University. The original version, based on Fall 2024 data, has been revised to incorporate the latest available numbers.
A Place to Encounter Jesus as Native Students
Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) is more than just a college—it is a home away from home for Native students from across the country. With an enrollment of 918 students in Spring 2025, representing 153 tribal nations, HINU is a unique space where students come to learn, grow, and build community.
The diversity of tribal representation is staggering. While students come from nations large and small, the top represented tribal nations this semester include:
- Navajo (Diné) Nation – 113 students
- Cherokee Nation – 56 students
- Muscogee (Creek) Nation – 42 students
- Prairie Band Potawatomi – 36 students
- Cheyenne and Arapaho – 32 students
- Yankton Sioux Tribe – 24 students
- Choctaw Nation – 23 students
- Comanche Nation – 21 students
- MHA Nation (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara) – 21 students
Each of these students brings with them a story, a cultural identity, and a spiritual journey. Yet, for many, the question remains:
“Can I follow Jesus while embracing who I am as a Native person?”
At HINU Fellowship, we believe the answer is yes—because Jesus is not a God of assimilation, but a God of restoration.
The Challenge: Faith & Identity in a Native Context
For many Native students, Christianity is a complicated subject.
Some have been told that to follow Jesus, they must reject their Native identity. Others carry the historical trauma of knowing that boarding schools, forced assimilation, and cultural erasure were often carried out in the name of Christianity.
It’s no surprise, then, that many Native students feel hesitant—or even resistant—when it comes to faith.
But the truth is, our Creator made us as Native people. Our languages, cultures, and traditions are not mistakes—they are gifts. And Jesus is not a foreign figure to our people. He is the Great Storyteller, the One Who Walks with Us, the Restorer of All Things.
That’s why HINU Fellowship exists—to create a safe, culturally honoring space where students can explore faith without abandoning their identity.
HINU Fellowship: A Place of Hope and Restoration
At HINU Fellowship, we offer students:
- A Safe Community – A place to ask hard questions, wrestle with faith, and build relationships without fear of judgment.
- Bible Studies Rooted in Native Context – We use the First Nations Version of the Bible, helping students see Jesus through the lens of their own cultures.
- Talking Circles & Prayer Walks – We incorporate traditional Native practices into our ministry, creating space for students to encounter God in ways that resonate with their heritage.
- Discipleship & Leadership Development – We don’t just want students to experience Jesus—we want them to become leaders who will bring hope and restoration back to their own communities.
Why This Matters
Too many Native students struggle alone in their faith. They need a place where they can:
✅ Ask questions and explore faith in a way that honors their culture.
✅ See that Jesus is for them, not against them.
✅ Find a supportive community that encourages both spiritual and cultural growth.
At HINU Fellowship, we are committed to walking with students as they navigate these tensions. Our hope is that every student at Haskell will see Jesus not as a tool of oppression, but as the One who brings healing, restoration, and freedom.
And that’s why this work matters.
