- Details
- By Jenna Kunze
Fourteen tribal nations, tribal schools and colleges, and state organizations will initiate community projects to capture, preserve, and educate about the impact of the Federal Indian Boarding School era, thanks to $411,000 in funding announced by the National Endowment for the Humanities on April 10.
From the early 1800s through the 1960s, federal policy supported the mass removal of hundreds of thousands of Indigenous children from their homes by supporting the operation of more than 500 Indian boarding schools. Natives were sent to these institutions throughout the country for the dual purpose of cultural assimilation and land dispossession, according to the 2022 investigative report on the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. An estimated tens of thousands died at these schools, and were buried away from their homes, families, and communities.
As a result, NEH has partnered with the Department of the Interior to collect oral histories and digitize federal records documenting the experiences of survivors and descendants of Federal Indian boarding schools. In August 2023, NEH announced a funding opportunity for federally recognized tribes, tribal nonprofits, and state and local government organizations who work with tribal communities for research, community engagement, tribal history collection, public programs, and educational projects.
Recipients of the funding include: Cowlitz Indian Tribe, in Washington, that will conduct ground-penetrating radar on the grounds of St. Mary’s Boarding School to detect unmarked burial grounds; Diné College, in Arizona, that will create an exhibit of portraits of community members who attended boarding schools; History Colorado, in Colorado, to support the collection of oral histories documenting the experience of Ute attendees of boarding schools; Mt. Edgecumbe High School, in Alaska, a still operational boarding school now run by the Bureau of Indian Education, to support curricula development to teach Alaska boarding school history at Mt. Edgecumbe High School; and North Shore Community Land Trust, in Hawai’i, to support community-based oral history research and story-mapping of the Waialeʻe Industrial School for Boys and the Kawailoa Industrial School for Girls.
For future funding opportunities for projects examining the history and legacy of the Federal Indian boarding school system, visit the NEH website.
Tell Us What You Think
More Stories Like This
Sacred Mound Returned to Osage NationNavajo Nation Gets Land Into Trust Near Flagstaff
Nearly 150 Community Members Celebrate Running and Dance Medicine with the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project
Mattaponi Indian Tribe Files for Federal Recognition
Honoring Heritage in Uniform: Native American Soldier Granted Religious Accommodation to Grow Hair, Embrace Lakota Identity
Support Independent Indigenous Journalism That Holds Power to Account
With the election now decided, Native News Online is recommitting to our core mission: rigorous oversight of federal Indian policy and its impact on tribal communities.
The previous Trump administration’s record on Indian Country — from the reduction of sacred sites to aggressive energy development on tribal lands — demands heightened vigilance as we enter this new term. Our Indigenous-centered newsroom will provide unflinching coverage of policies affecting tribal sovereignty, sacred site protection, MMIR issues, water rights, Indian health, and economic sovereignty.
This critical watchdog journalism requires resources. Your support, in any amount, helps maintain our independent, Native-serving news coverage. Every contribution helps keep our news free for all of our relatives. Please donate today to ensure Native News Online can thrive and deliver impactful, independent journalism.
