The U.S. is acknowledging the large-scale and violent treatment of Indigenous students at more than 400 Indian boarding schools run by the federal government between 1819 and 1969, according to a report released by the Department of Interior on Wednesday.
Over 500 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children's deaths occurred at 19 of the federal Indian boarding schools, according to the report. In total, 53 marked and unmarked burial sites were identified at these school facilities nationwide. The investigation is ongoing, and the department said it expects "the approximate number of Indian children who died at Federal Indian boarding schools to be in the thousands or tens of thousands.
The Indian boarding schools, which were often located at active or decommissioned military sites, separated children from their families and forced them to abandon their native language and culture through what the report termed "systematic militarized and identity-alteration methodologies."The children had their hair cut and were given English names. They were forced to adhere to strict schedules that included lessons in English, obedience, cleanliness and Christianity.
The Interior Department report identified 408 federally run schools in 37 states. Oklahoma had the highest number of schools, with 76, followed by 44 in Arizona, 43 in New Mexico and 30 in South Dakota.The Interior Department said it is not publicly detailing the locations of the children's burial sites "in order to protect against well-documented grave-robbing, vandalism, and other disturbances to Indian burial sites." But it is working to notify tribes of the burial sites.
These boarding schools operated with congressional funding and used housing provided by the federal government. In 1978, the Indian Child Welfare Act was passed in order to try to keep Native American children with their families, rather than removing them. By 2019, there were only four boarding schools operated by bureau of Indian Education, and they are no longer tasked with assimilating the students.
Undated photo of a teacher and young female students seated with sewing machines in classroom at the Phoenix Indian Industrial School. / Credit: Walter J. Lubken/U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Phoenix Area Office
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