Native American Boarding School Survivors Seek Justice

Native American Boarding School Survivors Still Seek Reparations

On June 22, 2021, Deborah Parker, a Native American activist, testified before the US Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, demanding justice for the survivors of Native American boarding schools. Parker, a member of the Tulalip Tribes, spoke about the intergenerational trauma caused by these schools. At the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, which operated from 1879 to 1918, thousands of Native American children were forcibly assimilated into white culture.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the Native American boarding school system was a well-intentioned but flawed attempt to educate and assimilate Native American children into white culture. The standard story goes that these schools, which operated from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, provided food, shelter, and education to Native American children, but were often poorly managed and underfunded. However, this narrative oversimplifies the complex and painful history of these schools, which were designed to erase Native American cultures and identities.

What History Actually Shows

Historian David Wallace Adams writes in his book "Education for Extinction" that the Native American boarding school system was designed to destroy Native American cultures and languages. On March 3, 1879, Richard Henry Pratt, the founder of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, explicitly stated that his goal was to "kill the Indian in him, and save the man." The US government knowingly supported the forced assimilation of Native American children, which led to the erasure of their cultural identities. According to historian Brenda Child, author of "Boarding School Seasons," the schools were often plagued by poor living conditions, inadequate food, and physical abuse. On July 18, 1882, the US Secretary of the Interior, Henry Moore Teller, reported to Congress that the schools were failing to provide adequate care and education to Native American children. Historian Margaret Jacobs, in her book "White Mother to a Dark Race," documents the ways in which the schools forced Native American children to abandon their traditional practices and adopt white customs. By 1928, the Meriam Report, a government-funded study, had already identified the deep-seated problems within the boarding school system, including the lack of funding, poor living conditions, and inadequate education. Despite these findings, the schools continued to operate, causing irreparable harm to generations of Native American children.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians and government officials actively suppressed the stories of Native American boarding school survivors, choosing to focus on the perceived successes of assimilation policies instead. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, led by Commissioner John Collier, deliberately downplayed the harsh conditions and abuse suffered by students, highlighting instead the schools' role in "civilizing" Native American children. Concrete reasons for this suppression include the destruction of records and the intimidation of survivors who attempted to speak out. For instance, the U.S. government destroyed many of the schools' records, making it difficult for survivors to document their experiences and seek justice. Additionally, government officials and school administrators often silenced survivors by threatening to withhold benefits or services from them or their families. As a result, the full extent of the trauma and abuse inflicted upon Native American children in these schools remains largely unknown to this day.

The Ripple Effect

The legacy of Native American boarding schools can be seen in the modern-day struggles of Native American communities, where high rates of poverty, substance abuse, and mental health issues persist. The intergenerational trauma caused by the forced assimilation and abuse of Native American children has had a direct impact on the lives of their descendants, contributing to ongoing social and economic disparities. For example, the high dropout rates and low educational attainment levels among Native American students today can be directly linked to the historical trauma inflicted upon their ancestors in boarding schools. Specifically, the poor living conditions and inadequate educational resources provided to Native American students in these schools set a precedent for the subpar education that many Native American students continue to receive.

The Line That Says It All

The U.S. government has paid out less than $10 million in total reparations to the estimated 150,000 Native American survivors of boarding schools.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the history of Native American boarding schools and their ongoing impact on Native American communities.