Reports, Interviews and a Lawsuit
Indian Boarding school research: the work continues.
This week was a rollercoaster navigating the political and news landscape. I wasn’t in the mood for crowds so I stayed home this 4th. Instead I read the preliminary report on Indian boarding school history that was just released by Washington state. Some key findings from the report:
Ongoing Impacts. Indigenous people continue to be disproportionately harmed by policies and systems, including health and justice, that originated in colonialism, racism, and discrimination.
At least 28 boarding school facilities operated in Washington. In addition, other facility types, such as asylums and hospitals, were used to separate Native children from their families, operating in Washington between 1850 and 1930.
There are significant records gaps and accessibility concerns. Many records are scattered, incomplete, or inaccessible, presenting a barrier to a full accounting of this history.
For those who have joined us recently: much of the newer research has been widening the scope to include facilities such as hospitals and asylums. The assimilation practices that took place were not isolated to the schools. The systemic nature of the genocide of Indigenous children and people is on full display in these reports. While I anticipate federal efforts will continue to be mostly about protecting the work that has been completed; there is room for states to continue momentum on their own and work with Tribes to gather records and testimony.
The Native American Boarding school healing coalition is continuing their work
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, known as NABS, is tasked by the Department of the Interior to create a permanent collection of oral history and digitized records that document the stories of those who attended the schools.
NABS is interviewing survivors from June 24 to 27 at the Indian Community School, 10405 W. St. Martins Road in Franklin. Milwaukee is the 13th of 20 stops on the group's national tour for the project.
My dad has done work with NABS in the past and I use their resources frequently in my work.
Reading my grandmothers name in the Indian Boarding School digital archive
I have missed a few of my weekly updates with you here on Substack, so I needed to take a bit of a break for a few weeks. My research on the various topics finally got to me.
In May two tribes filed a lawsuit in Pennsylvania against the US over its role in the Indian boarding school system.
The lawsuit was filed by the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California and their attorneys in federal court in Pennsylvania. It alleges the U.S. government violated its trust responsibilities to tribal nations and misused tribal funds.
I talked about this back when the lawsuit was first announced, we are early in the process but I am curious to see how this could set precedent. The main call is for the government to make a full account of their involvement. I hope to see more Tribes make similar moves or join in support.
Tribes sue US over Indian boarding school abuse.
A lawsuit was filed today in Pennsylvania calling on the US government to give a full accounting of the 23.3 billion in funds appropriated for the boarding schools. “Arguing that the tribes have never been compensated for the child abuse or for the money taken from tribal trust funds to operate the schools.”
There is still so much to do, in so many directions. I am grounding myself in the work and letting it give me direction in these times. Until next time-
Wonderful piece as always!