In 1879, a chapter of forced assimilation began in the Dakota Territories when U.S. Army Captain Richard Pratt established Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. His infamous motto—'kill the Indian and save the man'—set the tone for a decades-long system that separated Indigenous children from their families and cultures.
Generational trauma resurfaced this week as the remains of nine Lakota children were returned to their ancestral lands after a century buried at Carlisle. The repatriation highlights efforts to address historical injustices, with tribal leaders calling it a step toward healing 'wounds that have been open for generations.'
Over 400 boarding schools operated across the U.S. between 1819 and 1969, according to the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. Recent initiatives like the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative aim to document these policies' lasting impacts on Indigenous communities.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
