
- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) has announced the 16th stop of its Oral History Project, set for November 17–21, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.
The organization is inviting Native American boarding school survivors who attended before 1970 to participate in the effort, which preserves survivors’ stories through professionally recorded video interviews. Each interview will become part of a permanent collection housed at the Library of Congress, ensuring that survivors’ voices and experiences are preserved for future generations.
NABS’s visit to New Mexico represents a significant opportunity for boarding school survivors and their families to share their personal histories as part of a national effort to acknowledge and reckon with the legacy of federal Indian boarding schools. The project is a cornerstone of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, a historic undertaking to document and understand the lasting impact of the boarding school era.
"It is increasingly urgent that we hear the voices of all boarding school survivors," said Jason Packineau (MHA Nation/Jemez/Laguna), NABS Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives. "As we prepare to visit New Mexico, NABS remains committed to creating safe and healing spaces for our relatives who bravely choose to share their stories. It is with love and care that we make our journey to the Southwest."
Because interview slots are limited, NABS encourages survivors to register early.
Event Details:
-
Dates: Monday, November 17 – Friday, November 21, 2025
-
Location: Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa, 1300 Tuyuna Trail, Santa Ana Pueblo, NM 87004
-
Who Should Participate: Survivors who attended a federally supported Indian boarding school in the U.S. by 1970. Interviews are by appointment only.
-
Registration: Register here or call 651-650-4445
The Oral History Project will conclude its 2025 travels in Arizona. For more information, visit boardingschoolhealing.org/oral-history-project or contact the project team at [email protected].
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Oral History Project Announces 14th Stop in Portland, Oregon: NABS Continues to Gather Crucial Stories Across Indian Country
25th Navajo Nation Council Stands with Victim Advocates During Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher