In this study Roberta Lynn uses two interlinking frameworks to address her own family’s history of historical trauma. The first framework focuses on six phases of unresolved grief over several generations, starting with European Contact. The second framework addresses healing oneself and then healing family. In this portion the author describes Ni mii puu culture […]
The film focuses on a First Nations girl named Aila and her family on a reserve in Canada. Her parents attended residential school where they experienced trauma that continues to haunt them into adulthood, which results in substance abuse. During Aila’s childhood it is still mandatory that children attend residential school, but her family pays […]
Like a lot of the details of the United States historical relations with the indigenous inhabitants of this land, the story of the Indian boarding school policy of the United States government has largely been written out of the history books. Yet, this was a major federal policy. And it had major impacts, positive and […]
Children Left Behind: The Dark Legacy of Indian Mission Boarding schools is told by author Tim Giago who attended boarding school. Through this book he examines the relationship between the church and the government that resulted in the destruction of culture, language, and spirituality for Native American children all over the United States. Giago notes […]
In the late 19th century, American Indian Policy was heavily influenced by those who believed in assimilating Native Americans through education reform. These policies aimed to assimilate students through Christianity and the destruction of Native American culture through a compulsory boarding school school system. The goal was to make Native American students indistinguishable from Christian, […]
A curriculum on the history of Native American history, boarding schools, ethnic and cultural genocide, healing and reconciliation, and how to make a difference. This comprehensive educational tool is designed for educators and is a great resource towards understanding how history and intergenerational trauma continues to affect Native American communities today. The curriculum has information […]
New research on survivors of the Holocaust shows how catastrophic events can alter our body chemistry, and how these changes can transmit to the next generation. The result? Our children may suffer the effects of a traumatic event they never witnessed. NewsHour’s Stephen Fee has the story. Video Available Here Source: PBS News Hour. “Study […]
When Chilocco first opened, 100 students attended the school, culminating in 18,000 students from 126 tribes over nearly 100 years. The text includes the memories of students, along with pictures from the school. Book Available for Purchase Here Source:Brumley, Kim. Chilocco: Memories of a Native American Boarding School. Fairfax, OK: Guardian Publishing House, 2010
What is now Sherman Indian High School began as the Perris Indian School in 1892. Like other Indian boarding schools, Sherman sought to forcefully assimilate Native American students at all cost. Students had mixed experiences. Some suffered horrific abuse while others speak positively of their time at the school. Sherman today is the opposite of […]
A Century of Genocide in the Americas: The Residential School Experience is a short but powerful documentary about how Indian Residential Schools became a haven for institutionalized sexual abuse. The inspiration for the film comes from the First Nations survivors who have taken legal action against the institutions that perpetuated this destructive cycle; these are […]
