The Remains and Stories of Native American Students Forced Into Boarding Schools

Many reports of sexual, physical and emotional abuse of children at boarding and residential schools across the U.S. and Canada have come to light, with much more undoubtedly having been unreported, ignored or covered up. In 1913, 276 Carlisle students petitioned the U.S. Department of the Interior to investigate its conditions, including harsh punishments for minor infractions.

Native American boarding schools were a system of institutions, primarily operated or funded by the U.S. government and various Christian churches from the early 19th century to the mid-20th century, designed to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children into white American culture and eradicate Native American identities, languages, and cultural practices. The underlying philosophy, famously articulated by Richard Henry Pratt, founder of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, was to "Kill the Indian, and save the man". 

History and Purpose
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The establishment of these schools was part of a broader federal policy to acquire Native lands and "civilize" Indigenous peoples, which was considered more cost-effective than ongoing warfare. The 1819 Civilization Fund Act provided federal funding to religious organizations to set up schools, and a later act in 1891 made attendance mandatory for Native American children, with parents who resisted facing severe penalties, including imprisonment or loss of food rations. 

The primary goals of the schools were:

• Forced Assimilation: Children, often as young as four or five, were separated from their families and communities for long periods.
• Cultural Erasure: Upon arrival, students had their hair cut (which often had spiritual significance), were stripped of their traditional clothing and personal belongings, and were given new English names.
• Language Suppression: Speaking Native languages was strictly forbidden and often resulted in harsh physical punishment.
• Religious Conversion: Traditional spiritual practices were replaced with mandatory Christian instruction.
• Vocational Training/Forced Labor: Half of the school day was spent on academic subjects, while the other half involved manual labor. Boys were taught trades like farming and carpentry, while girls learned domestic skills like cooking and laundry, effectively preparing them for low-wage labor or servitude in white households. 

Conditions and Abuse

Conditions in the schools were often substandard, characterized by poor sanitation, insufficient food, and inadequate medical care, leading to rampant disease outbreaks like tuberculosis and measles. Discipline was strict and military-like, and children were subjected to widespread physical, emotional, and sexual abuse by staff. Many children died at the schools, and the U.S. Department of the Interior's investigations have identified hundreds of student deaths and burial sites at or near more than 50 schools, a number expected to rise as research continues. 
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Legacy and Aftermath

The boarding school system inflicted profound intergenerational trauma on Native American communities. Survivors often returned home disconnected from their heritage, unable to speak their language, which hindered their ability to connect with their families and communities. This disruption has been linked to contemporary issues like higher rates of substance abuse, suicide, and educational disparities. 

The federal government's policy changed following the critical 1928 Meriam Report, which exposed the dire conditions in the schools. The 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act finally gave Native American parents the legal right to refuse their child's placement in off-reservation schools. 

The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition is a key non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness, documenting the history, and facilitating healing for affected communities. While most of the original boarding schools are closed, a few still operate today under tribal control, focusing on education that incorporates Native language, culture, and traditions. 

Number of schools: 526

An Interior Department review published in 2024 found 417 federally funded boarding schools for Native children in the United States. Many others were run by religious groups and other organizations.

Burial sites: 74 (53 marked, 21 unmarked)

An “incomplete” number of burial sites, at 65 schools, identified by the Interior Department across the federal boarding school system.

Treaties: 127

Number of treaties between the U.S. government and Native American tribes that implicate the federal boarding school program, reflecting its significance to westward expansion.

Costs: $23.3 billion

Amount the U.S. government authorized to run the schools and pursue related policies, in inflation adjusted dollars, 1871-1969.

Years of operation: 39

Carlisle Indian Industrial School operated from 1879 to 1918.

Enrollment: 7,800

Children and young adults enrolled at Carlisle over four decades, from more than 100 tribes.

Petitioners: 276

Number of students who signed a petition in 1913 asking for an investigation into conditions at Carlisle.


Deaths at Carlisle: 230+

Deaths among students enrolled at Carlisle.

Deaths around the nation: 973

Deaths among students at government run boarding schools in the U.S., according to the Interior Department report. A review by The Washington Post last year documented about 3,100. Researchers say the actual number was much higher.

Bodies sent home: 58

Indigenous students repatriated from the Carlisle Barracks cemetery since exhumations began in 2017, leaving 118 graves with Native American or Alaska Native names. About 20 more contain unidentified Indigenous children.

Sources: National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition; “Carlisle Indian Industrial School: Indigenous Histories, Memories and Reclamations”; U.S. Army; “Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report, Volume 2″