What's happened
Recent exhumations at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School reveal over 230 student deaths, with many graves unmarked. Repatriations to tribes in Oklahoma mark ongoing efforts for justice and healing, highlighting the dark history of U.S. boarding schools aimed at erasing Native identities.
What's behind the headline?
The exhumations at Carlisle and other federal boarding schools expose a systemic attempt to erase Native identities through forced assimilation and cultural suppression. The high death toll, with over 230 confirmed at Carlisle alone, underscores the brutal conditions students endured. Repatriation efforts serve as acts of justice, but also highlight the ongoing trauma inflicted by policies rooted in colonial expansion. This history is crucial for understanding the lasting impacts on Native communities and the importance of acknowledging past abuses to foster reconciliation. The story's timing reflects a broader reckoning with historical injustices, emphasizing the need for continued transparency and accountability.
What the papers say
The articles from AP News and The Independent provide detailed accounts of the exhumations, death tolls, and efforts by tribes to reclaim their ancestors. AP News emphasizes the historical enrollment and death figures, while The Independent offers personal stories of repatriation and the cultural significance of these acts. Both sources highlight the systemic nature of the boarding school system and its role in cultural genocide, with The Independent noting the broader context of treaties and government expenditure. The contrasting focus on systemic statistics versus personal narratives enriches understanding of this dark chapter in American history.
How we got here
The Carlisle Indian Industrial School operated from 1879 to 1918, enrolling 7,800 students from over 100 tribes. It sought to assimilate Native children, often forcibly cutting their hair, banning tribal languages, and forcing them into military-style uniforms. Many students died from diseases like tuberculosis and typhoid, with records often incomplete or contradictory. Exhumations began in 2017, revealing hundreds of unmarked graves, prompting tribal efforts for repatriation and acknowledgment of this history.
Go deeper
- What is the significance of the recent repatriations?
- How does this history impact Native communities today?
- What are the broader implications for U.S. history and policy?
More on these topics
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The United States Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, generally known as Carlisle Indian Industrial School, was the flagship Indian boarding school in the United States from 1879 through 1918.