Two survivors of the Mohawk Indian Residential School share their different experiences. The first survivor, Audrey Hill, attended the school for one year. Coming from an environment where her parents showed affection, she knew there was something wrong at Mohawk. She heard stories of abuse, was slapped, and had her hair pulled while attending school. […]
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 […]
Veteran Robert O’Brien was honored at Carlisle by the Army War College during an annual athletic event called the Jim Thorpe Sports Days. O’Brien, who grew up in an orphanage in St. Paul Minnesota, traced his roots to his father who was a student at Carlisle. O’Brien is now enrolled in the Three Affiliated Tribes […]
A history of the Pauma and neighboring Luiseño bands experience in the Sherman Indian School. The tribes were against sending their children to Sherman and fought for their right to send their children to local schools. Read Article Here Read PDF Here Source: Pauma Tribe. Boarding School Era. http://www.paumatribe.com/history/boarding-school-era/
South Dakota is violating ICWA by abducting and kidnapping Native children and placing them with white families. The practices of the state fall under the category of genocide according to the UN’s General Assembly definition. A legal campaign is underway to have the children returned to their families. Despite the state’s claims that they have […]
Elicia Goodsoldier who is part Navajo and part Sioux encourages people in her community to share their stories of trauma. She grew up in a blended Christian and Navajo household with her grandparents who are also boarding school survivors. The confusion over her identity and intergenerational trauma she experienced negatively affected her until she reconnected […]
Sandy White Hawk tells her story of being adopted by a white family, overcoming alcoholism, and returning to her roots on the Rosebud Sioux reservation. She credits attending social gatherings, ceremonies, and pow wows with helping her reconnect to her roots. She realized the need for an organization that helps network and assists adoptees, fostered […]
University of Minnesota students collaborate on a five part documentary on Native Americans in Minnesota. The goal of the film is to have the state acknowledge the injustices inflicted upon the Minnesota Native American population. Read Article Here Read PDF Here Source: Indian Country Today. Video Spotlight: Powerful Student Film Asks For Apology and Understanding […]
An op-ed piece stating the US should follow Canada’s example by acknowledging their government’s own history with forcing students to attend boarding schools. The article further elaborates that even though the boarding school era has passed, communities continue to feel the effects through intergenerational trauma. Read Article Here Read PDF Here Source: Lauren Carasik. “Canada […]
Canada’s residential schools were influenced by the schools operating in the US. Unlike the US, Canada has formally apologized for residential schools, and has funded several programs aimed at documenting the stories of survivors and created community programs for Indigenous communities. The remaining question is, “When will the US follow Canada’s example?” Read Article Here […]
The site of the Stewart Indian School is opening up a museum and cultural center in the spring of 2019. The Nevada Indian Commission formed a cultural advisory committee with school alumni and their descendants to gather testimonies, and hired researchers and Native artists to help with the exhibits. For many, the Stewart Indian School […]
