The recent flood of civil litigation suits filed against the federal government and four major Christian churches by former students of Canadian Native residential schools threatens to overwhelm the court system and bankrupt several of the Church organizations involved. Litigation has proved problematic as a mechanism through which to respond to the abuse and other […]
The Lost Ones: Long Journey Home documents the story of two Lipan Apache children captured along the Texas-Mexican border in 1877 by the 4th U.S. Cavalry. After the massacre of their village known as the “Day of Screams,” the children rode from fort to fort with the Calvary for three years before being taken to […]
The children who attended Native American boarding schools encountered daily struggles and fought to survive in harsh conditions. This book examines a wide range of experiences, from positive to negative, that students underwent while attending school. The boarding school experience became part of Native American history, with some students using this experience to expand their […]
Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori encourages more people to learn about the Doctrine of Discovery and how the colonial idea of “free land” has continued to allow the descendants of settlers, homesteaders, and colonists to benefit today. She says the church must also partake in reconciliation efforts. She also provides a list of links that […]
Unlike schools of the past, Native American boarding schools still in existence have become places where students have the opportunity to thrive academically. Tim O’Neal is one of those students. Previously he lived in Wyoming where he was failing school and eventually transferred to the Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon. He excelled at Chemawa, […]
Synod responded to a report published on the Doctrine of Discovery by calling the document heresy and cited the damage and pain it has caused, specifically by forcing Native children into boarding schools. One of the church run schools was operated by the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) and called Rehoboth Christian School. Experiences at the […]
A Canadian residential school survivor, Michael Cheena, recalls how his family did not have a choice to send him to residential school or not. His parents would have been sent to jail if he did not attend. Life at school was strict, and students were harshly disciplined. Cheena recalls the policy of not being allowed […]
Kim Oseira tells the story of her life and boarding school experience. Raised by alcoholic parents, she and her sister were sent to the Holy Cross Mission Orphanage where they were ridiculed by other students. Unlike other children, Kim and her sister had no knowledge of their culture or language. Like many boarding schools, students […]
In the midst of trauma and abuse, many students found solace in playing hockey. Students often had to build hockey rinks themselves or skate on frozen lakes. Their passion for hockey was supported by the schools by having priests and lay teachers serve as coaches. Students competed against Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. Willie Littlechild, who […]
In this memoir, Walter Littlemoon educates the reader on the impact federal Indian policies have personally had on him and his family. He provides insight into the cruelty experienced by Native American children at boarding schools, along with his account of the 1973 militant occupation of Wounded Knee. He hopes others will follow down his […]
The video explains how lateral violence is ravaging Indigenous communities through gossip, and people undermining each other as a way to feel powerful or gain something. Lateral violence has it’s roots in colonialism and feelings of powerlessness. Cultural revitalization and preservation are one way to build positive community in communities that have experienced trauma and […]
Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students learn about the history of residential schools in Canada, and the impact this has left on Indigenous communities. For several Indigenous students, this gave insight into the horrors their families experienced, and how this led to trauma. Non-Indigenous students said they were unaware of this history, and think it is […]
