The Western History Association was founded in 1961 by a group of professional and avocational historians bound by their belief in the American West as a place rich in history and deserving of further study. "Its purpose shall be to promote the study of the North American West in its varied aspects and broadest sense," read the WHA's early constitution. Today, the WHA office is located in the History Department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The association is composed of around 1,100 active members with a common mission. Learn more about the WHA Governance and Standing Committees, read the WHA Constitution & By Laws, WHA Diversity Statement, and WHA Code of Conduct.  

The WHA is an organization that encourages diverse representation in the historical profession and the field of western history. In 2011 the organization adopted a statement on diversity and updated it in 2017:

“The North American West has been both home to many different groups with divergent belief systems and cultural practices, and a place in which people often experience shifting identities. The Western History Association strives to reflect the richness of our regions. We seek to be an association of historians of diverse backgrounds who thrive in the spirit of mutual respect and engaged curiosity.” 

Preamble

The Western History Association (WHA) works to maintain an environment that allows persons in the historical profession to flourish by encouraging respectful, inclusive, and equitable treatment of all who participate in WHA activities.  As a statement of principle, the WHA rejects harassment, discrimination, and retaliation by any means, based on sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.  Sexual harassment creates a hostile environment that impedes the advancement of historical knowledge by marginalizing individuals and communities.  It also damages productivity and career growth, and prevents the healthy exchange of ideas.  We affirm that discrimination and harassment are unacceptable in any research or learning environment.  The WHA is committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all. 

The following policy pertains to all WHA activities, including events associated with WHA conferences and any WHA-related business occurring throughout the year.  It encompasses interactions in person, by telephone, and by electronic communication.  The policy applies to all members and participants as well as employees, contractors, vendors, volunteers, and guests.

Read the full policy here.

In August 2019 the American Historical Association published the "Statement from the AHA on Domestic Terrorism, Bigotry, and History." You can read the context of this statement draft and the fine draft on the AHA website. Several governing boards of the AHA Affiliated Societies, including the Western History Association's Council, signed the statement in support of its message.

The WHA Council did not, however, think this statement adequately discusses the historical and contemporary violence again Indigenous peoples in North America.

To this end, the WHA governing body did not believe the AHA Statement adequately addressed the violence perpetrated against Indigenous peoples throughout North American history. At the Fall 2019 Council Meeting on October 16, the WHA Council approved an augmented version of the statement on violence with language that more explicitly recognizes this issue. Please read the full version here of the revised statement here. An excerpt from the statement is included below:

Furthermore, the idea of the U.S. as a “nation of immigrants” ignores a simple truth: the lands we currently identify as North America are Indigenous homelands. Indigenous lifeways grew out of these homelands; Indigenous peoples have stewarded and protected these territories for millennia. Colonial and settler violence removed Indigenous peoples from their ancestral homes and interrupted cultures, but despite displacement, Indigenous peoples have persisted and their responsibility for these territories remains intact, as does tribal sovereignty. Indigenous peoples are of these lands.