Report: Over 900 Native Children Died in US Boarding Schools

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Above: Youth from Northern Arizona pose in support of Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives Awareness Day 2021. Image copyright: US Indian Affairs via Flickr

The Facts

  • According to a probe by the US Dept. of the Interior, at least 973 Native American children died between 1819 and 1969 in federal boarding schools.

  • The report, released Tuesday, claims to have found at least 74 marked and unmarked burial sites at 65 former schools.

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The Spin

Narrative A

Churches, as well as the US government, must apologize for their role in the cultural destruction and forced assimilation of innocent Indigenous children. There must be a widespread reckoning within American culture with this dark chapter in US history.

New York Times

Narrative B

While this probe highlights the grave injustices Indigenous children faced, the survivors and their descendants must be assured that this horrific chapter of history will be duly acknowledged. This can then lead to collective healing and validation of cultural identity.

Smithsonian Voices