THE SEVEN-MONTH DELAY

The Crimson did not attend the conference last fall but sought a transcript of Summers’ remarks amidst swirling rumors that the president’s speech had irked his audience. Lucie McNeil, who was Summers’ spokeswoman at the time but no longer works at Harvard, did not furnish The Crimson with a transcript despite repeated requests in September and October.

Several scholars who attended the conference said they did not contact members of the press after the speech because they did not want their complaints to reflect poorly on the professors and graduate students who organized the event.

“It was the first event of its kind at Harvard....I think people just didn’t want to start out on the wrong foot,” Warrior said.

“You get a really thick skin as a Native American in the academy,” Browner, the UCLA ethnomusicologist, added.

DAWN OF A NEW ERA

The flap over Summers’ speech comes just over a week Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences announced the hire of two tenure-track professors who specialize in Native American studies.

“I am very glad that Harvard has taken an important step this year with the hire of two Native American studies professors, and I hope very much that the faculties of this University will push forward in that effort,” Summers said yesterday.

Earlier this month, the University hosted a two-day conference celebrating the 350th anniversary of Harvard Indian College, which sought to convert members of the local Wampanoag tribe to Christianity.

The event brought several scholars who had attended the September conference back to Harvard’s campus—and rekindled discussion of Summers’ controversial remarks.

Provost Steven E. Hyman—not Summers—delivered the opening remarks at that event.

—Staff writer Daniel J. Hemel can be reached at hemel@fas.harvard.edu.