The Native American Boarding Schools

Native American boarding schools were institutions established primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries aimed at assimilating Indigenous children into American culture. Children were often taken from their families and communities, sometimes forcibly, and placed in these schools where they were stripped of their languages, traditions, and identities. The goal was to erase Indigenous cultural practices and promote conformity to Western standards. Many students faced harsh discipline, traumatic experiences, and abuse. These schools have had lasting impacts on Native communities, contributing to cultural loss and intergenerational trauma.