The Intergenerational Legacy of Boarding Schools and What We Can Do About It

This photo was taken at a boarding school on our Sicangu homeland (Rosebud Reservation). The largest such school remained under non-Native control until the 1970's. Many survivors of that school are still alive today and have become activists for education reform.

Wakanyeja Tokeyahci students stand in stark contrast to the victims of boarding schools. At WT, students are fostering collective healing from the intergenerational trauma caused by boarding schools.

The typical American education makes no mention of "Indian Boarding Schools.” However, thanks to persistent Indigenous activist more and more people are learning about this dark chapter in American history.

These boarding schools were founded on the motto to "Kill the Indian to save the man." Attendance was mandated for Native children and forced their assimilation into Western culture. It’s estimated that hundreds of thousands of Native children were taken from their homes and put into boarding schools against their will. By 1926, 83% of Native children were enrolled in boarding schools.  

Students were forbidden from speaking their Native languages, wearing traditional clothing, or practicing their way of life. Students who did not conform -- or who simply slipped back into their Native tongue when speaking with friends -- were subject to abuse and neglect, oftentimes in conditions that would constitute blatant human rights violations. Sexual abuse has also been uncovered at many of the schools. In recent years, mass graves have been discovered at the sites of boarding school.

Shockingly, these atrocities weren't happening in secret, but were part of the stated policy of the United States (and Canadian) government and were tacitly endorsed through the 1970's with the persistence of the boarding schools.

This genocidal policy was veiled as education, but of healing and uplifting Native people, it deepened a painful cycle of trauma that continues to this day. Instead of building on the strength of our culture, generations of students were beaten for speaking their language, pushing nearly every Indigenous language to the brink of extinction, and jeopardizing the vitality of Native cultures.

Enormous amounts of time, energy, and money were spent eradicating our language and culture, and equal levels of resources and intentionality must be invested into language revitalization and cultural preservation.

Wakanyeja Tokeyahci stands in stark contract to the boarding schools and is our way answer to fostering collective healing from the historical trauma. At WT, students’ Indigenous identity is celebrated and uplifted, and they are taught the Lakota language, history, and way of life. In addition to academic instruction in Lakota, students build social-emotional skills that support holistic wellness and healing.

If you missed our previous newsletters stories that highlighted the impact of the school from both a staff and family perspective, you can find those stories at www.sicangu.co/wakanyeja.

This is what Indigenous education can and should look like when we have a dedicated coalition of people from all backgrounds taking action toward a common goal.

Today, you can take action by making a donation to the school.