Federal Indian Boarding School History
The history of federal Indian education policy is deep and troubling. For 250 years the United States has used education to assimilate Native children and deny them access to their heritage, their culture, and their families. The resources below all explore various aspects of that history and some of the research efforts in Colorado.
While these resources attempt to expand far and wide, it is not exhaustive. It is also dynamic and we will continue to add as new resources are revealed and created.
We hope you will use these materials for yourself, to build community conversations, in classrooms, for teachers and mentors, and to guide how we think about this important history. To help access these materials, please visit our Research Center Wednesday - Saturday, 10:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. for a dedicated Reading Room space or visit the links below.
Tribal Consultation History for Colorado Boarding School Efforts
Consultation History and Key Moments for the Boarding School Effort to Date
History Colorado’s Involvement
On May 24, 2022, the Federal Indian Boarding School Research Program Act (HB 22-1327) was signed into law by Governor Jared Polis. HB 22-1327 directed History Colorado to investigate the lived experiences of students at the one-time federal Native American boarding school in Hesperus, Colorado, also referred to as the Fort Lewis Indian Boarding School; as well as to identify potential burial places of students who perished while attending the school.
History Colorado’s efforts were led by State Archeologist Dr. Holly Norton, who directed a team of researchers and worked in close consultation with the Colorado Commission on Indian Affairs (CCIA) to better understand the lasting impacts of the Federal Indian Boarding School Program. On June 30, 2023, Dr. Norton’s final report was delivered to the CCIA, and an executive summary of History Colorado’s research was made publicly available on September 1, 2023. The final report and a set of supporting resources was made publicly available on October 3, 2023.
Additionally, History Colorado’s State Historical Fund awarded a grant to the Colorado Department of Human Services to investigate the History of the Grand Junction Indian School.
History Colorado values input from Tribal representatives, community organizations, descendants of those impacted, and community members and created this form as an avenue for them to submit feedback, comments and suggestions.
2022
2023
Website Resources
Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition
Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs
Video Resources
Home From School: The Children of Carlisle
Fort Lewis College statement on Kamloops Residential Indian School
For Information on Ground Penetrating Radar
National Cooperative Highway Research Program | 2018 NCHRP 25-25, Task 98: Practical Guide for Developing Effective Scopes of Work for the Geophysical Investigation of Cemeteries. Manuscript prepared by WSP, Inc., and New South Associates, Inc., for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Standing Committee on the Environment, Washington, D.C.
Small, Marsha, Farina King, and Preston McBride | 2021 Native American and Indigenous Protocols for Surveying Indian Boarding School Burial Sites. Unpublished manuscript.
Media Articles
Huntington, Stewart | Colorado reports on boarding schools. Indian Country Today, October 5, 2023.
Kay, Jonathan | A Media Fueled Social Panic over Unmarked Graves. Quillette, July 22, 2022.
History Colorado is committed to continued work with Tribal partners to ensure that we are aligned with both the law and spirit of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Learn more by clicking here.