Overview:
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition has completed the U.S. Department of the Interior's nationwide Oral History Project, preserving the testimonies of 383 Indian boarding school survivors for future generations.
After more than two years of traveling across Indian Country, the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) has completed the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Oral History Project, a landmark effort to preserve the voices and lived experiences of survivors of the federal Indian boarding school system.
The project concluded in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after making 22 stops across 19 states. Tulsa was selected as the final location because Oklahoma is home to the largest known number of Indian boarding schools in the United States. The project also began in Oklahoma in 2024, making the final stop a symbolic return to where the effort first started.
Through a cooperative agreement with the Department of the Interior and support from the Mellon Foundation, NABS recorded video testimonies from 383 Indigenous survivors. The initiative was designed to create a survivor-centered environment where participants could share their experiences with dignity while receiving emotional support throughout the interview process.
“These stories belong to survivors, and we are honored to have walked alongside them as they shared their truths,” said Charlee Brissette (Sault Ste. Marie Ojibwe), co-director of the Oral History Project for NABS.
“Every story shared is an act of courage, healing, and remembrance. By preserving these voices, we ensure that future generations understand the history and ongoing impacts of Indian boarding school policies.”
The oral history initiative is part of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative launched by the Department of the Interior to document the experiences of living survivors and help address the lasting trauma caused by the federal boarding school system, which sought to assimilate Native children by separating them from their families, cultures, and languages.
Unlike many oral history projects, NABS emphasized a trauma-informed, survivor-centered approach by providing opportunities for reflection, connection, and support after each interview.
The interviews will become part of a permanent collection at the Library of Congress, where they will help preserve the historical record of the federal Indian boarding school era. Survivors will retain ownership of their stories and continue to have a voice in how their interviews are shared. The collection is expected to become publicly available in early 2027.
“The stories shared through this project remind us of the strength, resilience, and continued presence of Native peoples,” said Lacey Kinnart (Sault Ste. Marie Ojibwe), co-director of the project.
“This work does not end here. NABS remains committed to honoring survivors, supporting healing, and continuing efforts to document the histories and experiences of Native communities.”
For many participants, the opportunity to speak openly about experiences that had remained private for decades marked an important step in their healing journey.
“I have no words because my gratitude is not enough,” said Dr. Walkie Charles of Alaska. “I have found myself through your generous support, love, and trust to allow me the safe space to share what I’ve NEVER shared before! You all have created a sacred space of comfort and understanding to where we can finally tell our stories that, without a doubt, have changed all our lives.”
Carmelita Adkins of Washington emphasized the importance of preserving survivors’ experiences for future generations.
“For those of us who are older survivors, it’s about having a legacy of the history of what we went through,” Adkins said. “Without us telling those stories, they might get lost and people might not know the truth later on.”
Although this phase of the Oral History Project has concluded, NABS said it will continue collecting and preserving the stories of survivors, descendants, and Native communities through future oral history initiatives. Those interested in participating in upcoming interviews can submit an interest form through the organization.
The completion of the project represents one of the largest coordinated efforts to document firsthand accounts from survivors of the federal Indian boarding school system and preserves a critical chapter of Native American history for generations to come.
