After Bacon's sabotage, the Commander looks toward the future of the campus

The Bakoni campus has seen numerous acts of vandalism and break-ins since the Indigenous-focused college closed before the spring semester.

The sweat lodge on campus appears dilapidated with missing fabrics and items. It formerly housed a spiritual retreat for students seeking a contemplative place to pray. It now needs to be “respectfully demolished and rebuilt,” said Brandi Sylvester, a USDA liaison to Bakone.

Leslie Hanna, a member of the Bacone Board of Trustees and director of education for the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokees, was working to move the items from campus to the John Hair Cultural Center and Museum in Tahlequah.

“On two occasions, while I was moving items, I noticed that someone had broken into the museum,” Hannah said. “Some other buildings on campus were broken into as well.”

The Ataloa Museum was the target of a break-in in January. Ancient indigenous art and artifacts were stolen, and the cash register was smashed.

The perpetrators stole the inventory, making it difficult to locate the missing items. Hanna said his tribe has applied for a grant to hire an archivist to investigate.

Nikki Michael, Baconi's interim president, said she is grateful to those who have come forward to help in the college's time of need.

Local volunteer Mark Winters repaired the smashed glass front doors with panels to keep the Bacony Sports Building safe.

Michael said the campus buildings are like “sitting ducks.” After expressing concern that the Pakone campus would need police patrols, Muskogee Lighthorse Tribal Police said they would be “ready and willing to assist in investigating any issues Pakone may have,” according to agency spokesman Jason Salsman.

Many windows were smashed or damaged during the break-ins, but even before the vandalism, the campus was plagued with problems.

An HVAC company had begun doing some work on the campus, but Michael said the air conditioning units were not suitable for large, historic buildings. MHEC sued Bacone for non-payment and breach of contract.

“We can't always pay our water bills either,” Michael said. “We had to go without running water for long periods of time.”

Michael lived in a camper on campus for two years while the president's house had no running water.

She said a leaking water pipe caused the basement of Barnett Hall to be flooded up to several feet. Nearby grass patches are soaked and muddy.

Benjamin Wacoochee Hall, which also had its windows and glass doors blown out, is the first building to be renovated, so it can be rented out again for weddings and events to bring in some extra money, Michael said.

Due to a leaking roof, mold has managed to damage the original feathered items from Ataloa, including an ancient headdress that is clearly covered in moths.

The campus “clearly needs some TLC,” said Tiffany Golightly, the mother of a former Baconie student-athlete.

While Golightly noted that the interim president was “doing her best,” she said the dorms were in poor condition.

“The mattresses had pillowcases, not plastic,” she said. “So they have all the stains from previous people, and you can only imagine.”

If Bacon can't afford plastic covers for the mattresses, Golightly said, she worries about the college's financial future.

Michael said Bacone is two years behind on audits, which determine Bacone's management ability.

“Now that I've had a chance to look back over the last few years, it's unbelievable that we have all these old buildings and we're paying electric and gas, whenever we can, while there are charter schools that are closing as well,” Michael said.

If the college can clear both audits, Bacon could be eligible for a USDA loan, she said.

Michael said she is still asking for donations to help save the campus and hopes the school can eventually reopen with enough help from the communities Bacon is trying to serve.