Heated hearing on bill to transfer Shawnee Indian Manual Labor School to Shawnee tribe; supporters pledge restoration, opponents cite multi-tribal history and J

The committee heard lengthy, at times contentious, testimony on House Bill 2384, which would authorize the State Historical Society to convey approximately 11.97 acres of the Shawnee Indian Manual Labor School property in Johnson County to the Shawnee tribe via quitclaim deed without appraisal, bid, or publication. Legislative staff explained the draft includes attorney-general review, restrictive covenants barring gaming on the property, a requirement that the tribe pay conveyance costs, and a historic-preservation easement to comply with federal preservation law. The bill also would require formal consultations with named tribal nations and periodic updates to the Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations every two years for ten years.

Chief Ben Barnes, identified himself as chief of the Shawnee tribe, testified in support and described the site as a Shawnee place built on Shawnee land. "With this bill, we will restore and preserve all 3 historic buildings to ensure they are safe, functional, and accessible to the public," Chief Barnes said, and he told the committee the Shawnee tribe would not ask Kansas for financial support and is "offering to fund the full restoration ourselves." He said the tribe's plan would include formal consultation with other tribes that had children attend the school and regular reporting on rehabilitation.

Representatives of other tribal governments offered written or oral testimony urging amendments to ensure the four resident Kansas tribes have consultation and representation regarding interpretation and programming. Joseph Rupnick, chairman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, said the four resident tribes had passed a joint resolution and requested two specific insertions in the bill language to clarify that consultation should be with the four resident tribes and should include the "representation of the stories of the Shawnee Indian Manual Labor School."

The Kansas Historical Society, which has owned and managed the site since 1927, opposed the conveyance. Executive Director Patrick Zollner said the society had preserved the site for nearly a century, highlighted its broad state and national historic significance (including territorial government, Civil War and trails history), and said the site is not "falling down" and that it is currently under a public–private partnership with the city of Fairway and the Shawnee Indian Mission Foundation. Zollner told the committee the society has submitted grant applications to restore specific buildings and is finalizing a three-party agreement to fund the site's work for the next decade.

City of Fairway officials, the Shawnee Indian Mission Foundation, historians, and other opponents urged keeping the site in public stewardship or developing a multi-tribal/state partnership rather than transferring it to a single tribe. Fairway Mayor Melanie Hepperly and City Administrator Nathan Nogelmeyer emphasized the site's public uses and partnerships, noting more than 12,000 annual visitors and significant volunteer and private investment. Opponents raised questions about potential future jurisdictional changes if the land were placed into federal trust and cautioned that transfer to a single tribe could marginalize other tribal histories tied to the site.

Scholars and preservation professionals urged additional studies the architectural report itself recommended — a historic structure report, cultural landscape report, master plan, and interpretive plan — before any transfer. University-based testimony warned that no comprehensive historical study had been done to support transfer. Several testified that dozens of tribes and community groups have ties to the mission and asked that any bill include explicit, enforceable consultation and representation provisions.

Committee members asked about restoration timelines and funding. Chief Barnes said the Shawnee tribe proposed a multi-year, multi-million-dollar restoration plan (he referenced $15 million) and said the tribe has funds available. Proponents and opponents urged more explicit language ensuring continued historic protections and inclusive consultation. The transcript records extensive oral testimony and many written proponents and opponents; no formal committee vote appears in the hearing record.