Iowa State’s American Indian organizations have added a third side to the Catt Hall debate.

Organization officials sent a formal statement to ISU President Martin Jischke, the September 29th Movement and the state Board of Regents Wednesday morning.

The statement is signed by the presidents of United Native American Student Association (UNASA), the American Indian Rights Organization (AIRO) and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES).

It states: “We are most disappointed at this time at the absence of compromise in this matter, both from the administration and Board of Regents as well as from members of the September 29th Movement.

“Both sides seem to have taken an ‘all or nothing’ approach, which will ultimately lead to a stalemate. Without compromise and further discussion, nothing will be accomplished, and the entire university community will be the loser.”

Organization officials are both appreciative and disgruntled with Catt.

“[Carrie Chapman Catt] had kind of a mixed relationship with Indians,” said Jerry Stuben, adviser of AISES. While letters she wrote later in her life show that she was appalled by harsh treatment of American Indians, during her suffragist campaign, “She did make comments that were negative towards Indians.”

The organizations wrote the letter in response to pressure from several sources to take a stand on the issue.

Kelly Welch, president of AISES, said they’ve implied a side, but we have not said anything outright. “I think that we’ve taken the position that we need to and it’s something that everyone in the group could agree with.”

Francis Kayona, adviser of AIRO, said representatives of the groups have been approached by the media and the September 29th Movement, the campus organization leading the push to change the name of Catt Hall.

Kayona said she thinks everyone in the three organizations would prefer the name change, but added that “it’s not that important to us.” She pointed out that the American Indian Studies Program is housed in Catt Hall. “It’s difficult to be angry at a building when you have to spend a lot of your time in that building. It literally surrounds me.”

Kayona said there are simply more important issues facing Iowa State.

“… This is a lose-lose situation. No one is going to benefit. The September 29th Movement obviously has the drive and the heart, but I don’t think they’ve chosen their battle carefully,” she said.

She said racism has always been an issue on campus, but the Catt Hall controversy has made it more visible.

“I hear people say, ‘Those damn minorities are just whining all the time,’ not knowing that I’m Indian,” she said. Kayona has fairly pale skin and blondish hair.

While critical of both sides of the Catt controversy, the letter’s conclusion broaches a crucial university issue — recruitment.

“Until the university community better approaches diversity on this campus, we cannot in good faith recommend Iowa State University to our friends, families, tribes or the Native American community as a whole,” the letter states.