Hosting a community gathering? Interested in learning more about healing? Check out this toolkit created by First Alaskans Institute as a part of the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Initiative. The toolkit can help you think through the logistics of your next gathering and help you learn how to prepare yourself spiritually, or, it can […]
This Department of the Interior Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs include an overview of Indian policy during this year, including qualitative information about a Great Crossings mission school in Kentucky. It lists the total number of children attending schools as 1,291 this year. Statement B in this document also includes a list of […]
In response to a history of erasure and low graduation rates among American Indian students, American Indian leaders drew upon a self-determination framework to rethink and reshape higher education. This dissertation by Iris HeavyRunner-PrettyPaint shows how these leaders sought to found American Indian colleges that could strengthen reservation economies and tribal cultures without forcing students […]
Created by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, this conversation guide is for individuals, organizations, and communities who want to come together to create a better world. The guide gives suggestions, optional activities and conversation starters, and tips to promote more respectful conversation, recognize the experiences of others, connect more with different cultures and histories, and promote […]
This Department of the Interior Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs include an overview of Indian policy during this year and includes a report on the state of Indian Education, including information about a few Creek and Choctaw schools. The report also discusses the goal of using children as a link, or intermediary to […]
Fort Simcoe was established after the treaty of 1855 when 14 bands and tribes were merged into the Yakama Nation. Like other U.S. Indian boarding schools, it was designed to strip Native students of their culture. This article includes information about how the school was founded and the experiences of children. PDF found here. Original […]
In this article, published as a part of the Special Issue of the Journal of American Indian Education on Boarding School Stories, Dr. Louellyn White reflects on her own experience as a descendant of a Carlisle survivor and asks how narratives of boarding school change when descendants tell the stories of their own ancestors. Dr. […]
This paper, “Emergence of a Distinct Legal Identity From the Forces of Assimilation: The Mesquakie Indians and the Fight for Citizenship” presents a close examination of the various legal disputes that led to Mesquakie citizenship. Among these disputes are a few cases that intersect with parents’ rights to choose not to send their children to […]
In order to gain a better understanding of the impacts boarding schools had on former students, survivors from the Indian Boarding School era were interviewed. The students attended various schools, some in the state of Alaska, and some out of state. Experiences ranged from good to bad, with some students saying they were pushed to […]
A legal case in Alaska set the foundation for the state building high schools in rural Alaska villages. Previously, students had to attend residential schools or live with host families during the school year. Living with host families was a largely unpleasant experience for many students who were mistreated. Boarding schools were also ineffective, and […]
This statement was made on behalf of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) by Denise Lajimodiere and Andrea Carmen. This statement explains the history of boarding schools, the impact boarding schools have had on Native American communities, languages, and cultures, and outlines steps needed in order for reconciliation to take place. Download […]
In this article the author initially explains what sparked her interest in researching boarding school survivor stories. She gives a detailed history of boarding schools, specifically that many children were abused, contracted diseases, and were subjected to forced assimilation. 20 boarding school survivors were interviewed and four major themes were present: 1) the participants attending […]
