A report by the U.S. Department of the Interior discovered mass graves at former U.S. boarding schools. The research found the horrific legacy of forced assimilation, as the remains of over 1,000 Native American children are unearthed.1
This grim discovery prompts tribes to reclaim their ancestors and protect their sacred burial sites, decades after the U.S. government abandoned its policy of cultural erasure.
A Brutal System of Forced Assimilation
The report estimates that nearly 19,000 children were kidnapped from their families, often at gunpoint, and enrolled in government schools. The aim was to assimilate these children into white society, decimating tribal cultures and paving the way for further land dispossession.
While the figures are likely underestimated, the report provides the most comprehensive picture yet of the system’s vast reach. It took three years to uncover the full extent of the damage inflicted by this nearly two-century-long policy.
Research was hampered by inconsistent record-keeping and the fact that many records are held by private religious institutions.
Unmarked Graves & Hidden Histories
The remains of 973 children were found at 65 schools and their surrounding communities. However, the Department is withholding the locations of these graves to protect them from grave-robbing, vandalism, and other disturbances.
This decision shows the ongoing struggle to preserve Native American burial sites and the painful history associated with them.
Rampant Sexual Violence & Cruel Punishments
The report reveals a horrifying pattern of sexual abuse within these institutions. Children were regularly subjected to rape by priests, teachers, and school staff, witnessing these atrocities inflicted upon their peers.
Some girls, as young as 11 or 12, were sent home pregnant in the middle of the school year, a stark testament to the pervasive sexual violence they endured.
Children were also subjected to a range of cruel and degrading punishments. At one Montana school, night checks were implemented, where staff would shine flashlights into the children’s eyes as they slept.
In some instances, children were sent to sleep in basements as punishment and then “forgotten” for hours or even days. Many others were subjected to “outing,” where they were sent to live temporarily with nearby white families, often Quakers, and forced to perform free labor.
Emotional & Psychological Scars
The emotional and psychological scars inflicted on these children were profound. One survivor from Michigan recounted the trauma of listening to other children crying themselves to sleep, longing for their parents and home.
Another survivor shared the story of a girl who was forced to scrub the entire bathroom on her hands and knees with her toothbrush because she wet the bed. These experiences left deep wounds that continue to impact survivors to this day.
Stripped of Identity
Upon arrival at the boarding schools, children were often stripped of their clothing, their hair cut short against sacred cultural norms, and given uniforms and numbers. They were no longer called by their names but by these assigned numbers, further erasing their individual identities.
Living thousands of miles from home with little hope of escape, these children witnessed every aspect of their identities and prior lives being systematically erased and replaced. Their belief systems, language, hair, and dress were all targeted in an effort to force them to assimilate into white society.
The trauma of this cultural genocide continues to reverberate through generations of Native Americans.
Food as a Weapon
The report also found how food was used as a tool of oppression in Native American boarding schools. Traditional Native American foods, often seen as medicine and central to cultural practices, were strictly prohibited.
In contrast, children were forced to eat highly processed, unfamiliar, or even spoiled food. This abrupt dietary shift had devastating consequences for their health and well-being.
A survivor from Alaska vividly describes the impact of this sudden change in diet. The consumption of processed canned meats and vegetables, powdered milk, and eggs led to widespread illness among the children.
Vomiting, diarrhea, and other digestive problems were common, and children were often punished for soiling their clothes or bedding. This forced dietary change not only caused physical harm but also served as a powerful tool to suppress Native American culture and identity.
Exploitation of Child Labor
The report then reveals the staggering financial investment in the federal Indian boarding school system, estimated at over $23 billion in 2023 dollars. This figure, however, does not account for the extensive use of child labor, which significantly reduced operating costs.
Children were often forced to maintain school infrastructure, performing tasks such as digging for plumbing or repairing roofs. This exploitation of child labor further underscores the systemic abuse and neglect that characterized these institutions.
The report reveals the vast network of boarding schools involved in the forced assimilation of Native American children. The U.S. government operated and supported a staggering 417 schools across 37 states and territories.
Of these, 210 were run by predominantly Protestant or Catholic religious groups.
Lasting Trauma & Resilience
The final report documents the devastating long-term effects of the boarding school system. Native families continue to experience the highest rates of substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and chronic illnesses in the nation. These health disparities are a direct result of the trauma inflicted on generations of Native Americans.(ref)
The final death and enrollment counts in the report do not include records from 1,025 other institutions, such as day schools and orphanages. These institutions, although not federally funded, subjected children to similar abuses in pursuit of the government’s explicit policy of mass assimilation. The true extent of the suffering inflicted on Native American children remains largely unknown.
Despite the overwhelming oppression, resistance was common. Children ran away, secretly spoke their native languages, and challenged government agents who came to take them from their families.
One survivor from Minnesota shared the profound impact it had on her understanding of motherhood, vowing to treat her own children with love and respect, unlike the dehumanizing treatment she endured.
“As we have learned over the past three years, these institutions are not just part of our past,” writes Assistant Secretary of the Interior Bryan Newland. “Their legacy reaches us today, and is reflected in the wounds people continue to experience in communities across the United States.”
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Nancy Maffia
Nancy received a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.