Date/Time and Location
September 30 is recognized in both Canada and the United States as the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools. It is a day to reflect on the historical trauma of Indian Boarding Schools and how that trauma continues to impact Indigenous communities today.
When and where did Indian Boarding Schools exist?
There were more than 350 government-funded, and often church-run, Indian Boarding schools in 29 states from 1819 to the 1970s. A list of identified U.S. Indian Boarding schools has been published by the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition.
What was the purpose of Indian Boarding Schools?
Per the U.S. Department of the Interior's Indian Affairs office, "The purpose of federal Indian boarding schools was to culturally assimilate American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children by forcibly removing them from their families and Indian Tribes, Alaska Native Villages, and Native Hawaiian Community." (Source: Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, bia.gov).
What was the impact of Indian Boarding Schools on Indigenous Peoples?
Besides the forcible removal from their homes, Indigenous children were often abused in boarding schools, whether physical, sexual, and/or emotional. In addition, there were many findings that noted overcrowding to the point where two children would have to share a bed and many of the children were malnourished as they were no longer receiving their cultural diet, but rather one full of starch and sugar.
And as documented in the 2022 Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report produced by the U.S. Department of the Interior, approximately 19 Federal Indian boarding schools accounted for over 500 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian child deaths. Some of these children were buried in marked graves, while others were buried in unmarked graves.
The trauma of Indian Boarding Schools continues to be seen in the contemporary lives of Indigenous people, not only from the abuse and deaths that arose from the Indian Boarding Schools, but the continued removal of children from sovereign nations today.
Panel Discussion: "Protecting Our Children: A conversation about the Indian Child Welfare Act"
On December 14, 2022, the Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition hosted a conversation about the Indian Child Welfare Act, the legalization of America stealing Native children from sovereign nations, and its impacts.
Additional Resources
Truth and Healing Curriculum
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition has developed a curriculum on U.S. Indian Boarding Schools for teachers and parents to use with their students and children.
Boarding School Experiences Book List
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition has compiled a list of Boarding School books into three many topic areas: General Native American Boarding School History, Healing and Decolonization, and For Children and Young Adults.
Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition YouTube Channel
Watch recent presentations from the Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition on personal accounts of Boarding Schools and current events impacting the community.