For more than a century, Native American children have been forced to attend American boarding schools, where they have been systematically stripped of their culture, language, and identity. These boarding schools are run by the federal government and various Christian denominations to “civilize” and integrate Native American children into mainstream American culture. The legacy of these schools is devastating and has left lasting scars on Native American communities across the country.
The boarding school era began in 1869 with the opening of the Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The school’s founder, Richard Henry Pratt, famously stated that his goal was to “kill the Indian and save the human race.” This philosophy underlies the entire boarding school system, which seeks to eradicate Native American culture and language and replace it with European and American values and beliefs.
The federal government plays an important role in the boarding school system. In 1879, Congress passed the Carlisle Indian School Act, authorizing the establishment of similar schools throughout the country. Over the next few decades, dozens of boarding schools were established, housing approximately 100,000 Native American children.
Life in boarding school is tough and often brutal. Children are often separated from their families and communities and taken to schools hundreds if not thousands of miles away. They are prohibited from speaking their own language, professing their religion or participating in cultural events. Punishments for speaking one’s native language or participating in cultural practices ranged from public humiliation to physical abuse.
Boarding schools also have a profound impact on the mental and emotional health of Native American children. Many have been severely traumatized by the forced separation from their families and communities and the cultural erasure they experienced at the hands of school officials. Trauma from the boarding school era is passed down through generations of Native American families and today contributes to high rates of poverty, substance abuse and mental health problems in Native American communities.
Despite the far-reaching devastation of the boarding school era, its stories have gone largely unnoticed in mainstream American culture. Many Americans are unaware of the trauma and suffering experienced by Native American children in these schools, or the lasting impact trauma has on Native American communities. The recent discovery of unmarked graves at the site of former boarding schools in Canada has brought renewed attention to the schools’ legacy and prompted calls for greater recognition and redress for the damage they have caused.
The boarding school era represents a dark chapter in American history that had a profound and lasting impact on Native American communities. It is important to acknowledge this history and work to address the lasting trauma and intergenerational impact of this traumatic time. It is only through recognition and reconciliation that we can begin to move forward to build a more just and equitable society for all.
Directed by: John Howe
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