These tales are taken from personal ac- counts, witness testimony, and convinc- ing retellings. All sources are credible. Having said that reader discretion is advised.
When looking at Pocahontas from the front, one can see a small, circular window centered high atop the columns directly above the front entrance. It is said that students of the past would sneak into this tight, attic area and spend time. As early as 1931, when the hall was built, many would carve their initials, symbols, and messages into the wooden beams that structuralize the small space. No student has been allowed into the space for decades.
Sometime in the 1980’s, during a winter break, a member of the facility staff was given the task to climb into the space to check on the condition of the structure and the decorative window. The facility employee was hesitant, but determined to do his job. He entered an empty Pocahontas Hall on a dark, cold day and headed to the top. He went to the hatch, which was the access point to the secluded area, and climbed up. When he got into the location, it was so small that he had to get on his hands and knees and crawl forward to get to the window. Along the way he no- ticed the faded inscriptions of students past. He saw the names of students long gone. He read the small equations of lover plus lover equaled forever. Halfway to the window the man was abruptly halted. He described a loud, high-pitched noise that hurt his ears. He grunted in discomfort as the painful ringing coursed through his thoughts. He moved on and the ringing subsided. He was almost to the window when he heard a strange hubbub coming from outside.
An unusual honking was coming from the front of Pocahontas. As he reached the window, he was dumbfounded by what he saw. He peered out the aperture to see a sunny mid-day. Many people, old and young alike, were outside of the hall. Their clothes were that of the 1950’s. Bouffants and pompadours were the hairstyle of the people outside. The clothes they wore were dated and unfashionable for the 1980’s. The honking sound came a classic car in the parking lot. It was one of those old cars built more like a brick than a vehicle. He witnessed many people on the lawn of Pocahontas Hall cutting a yellow ribbon with scissors, as if celebrating the grand-opening of a building or commencement of a ceremony. The facilities worker could not believe his eyes. He had to go outside and see what was going on. Who were all of these people? They had not been there before. What were they celebrating? School was on hiatus. How had the weather changed from a bleak winter day into a seemingly warm summer one? He had to know what was happening.
As the worker crawled his way back- wards through the attic, the high pitched noise returned. He was in the same place he was before when it had happened. He pushed through it and just like before it dissipated as soon as he moved from the area. He climbed back down into the second floor of
Pocahontas, ran down the stairs, and burst through the front doors. The
lot was empty. There were no people cutting a yellow ribbon. There was no classic car. The sky was the deep gray of December and the day was as it had been when he entered the building. The facilities worker had no answer for what he had just witnessed.
Too often we associate the Haskell campus with transgressions of the past and the spirits of those who endured those injustices. This whole area is a soft spot in the veil of perceived reality. On this sacred land mysteries are pondered, secrets are told, and sometimes, just sometimes, a rift in time is found.
If you or someone you know has had a paranormal, supernatural, or preter- natural experience at Haskell Indian Nations University and would like to share your story please contact Joe Singh at joseph.singh@haskell.edu
