
Report Details Legacy of Federal Indian Boarding Schools
Clip: 8/12/2024 | 8m 6sVideo has Closed Captions
Report Details Legacy of Federal Indian Boarding Schools
Schools meant to assimilate Native Americans by removing children from their families were also the site of tragedies, with at least 973 children dying while in custody, a federal report found.
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Report Details Legacy of Federal Indian Boarding Schools
Clip: 8/12/2024 | 8m 6sVideo has Closed Captions
Schools meant to assimilate Native Americans by removing children from their families were also the site of tragedies, with at least 973 children dying while in custody, a federal report found.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipTHE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR CONCLUDED ITS THREE-YEAR INVESTIGATION INTO THE LEGACIES OF FEDERAL INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS.
THE SCHOOLS WERE CREATED TO ASSIMILATE NATIVE AMERICANS BY REMOVING CHILDREN FROM THEIR HOMES AND FAMILIES AND STRIPPING THEM OF THEIR CULTURES AND LANGUAGES.
ONE OF THE MOST UPSETTING FINDINGS IN THAT REPORT, 973 CHILDREN WERE FOUND TO HAVE DIED WHILE IN CUSTODY AT THOSE SCHOOLS.
JOINING US NOW WITH VERY TAKEAWAYS ARE BRADFORD, CASPER, A CITIZEN OF THE MIAMI TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA AND RUNNING PRESTON, A MEMBER OF SAN CARLOS APACHE NATION IN THE PROGRAM.
FACILITATOR AND CULTURAL AMBASSADOR AT THE AMERICAN INDIAN CENTER.
THANKS TO BOTH FOR JOINING US HERE.
THANKS FOR SO WHAT BREATH FOR THAT START WITH YOU, PLEASE.
WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO THIS REPORT?
I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT REPORT WAS GENERATED ABOUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS NO SECRET IN INDIAN COUNTRY.
I'M IT'S IMPACTED YOU KNOW, VIRTUALLY EVERY EVERY FAMILY, BUT TO BE TO BE I WAS I'M SURPRISED AT THE NUMBER OF CONFIRMED A SCHOOLS.
THAT'S SOMETHING I UNIVERSALLY MY COMMUNITY GIVEN ONLINE.
I'M SURPRISED THE LOW NUMBER.
BUT IF YOU READ THE REPORT, YOU CAN SEE EVEN THEY ADMIT THE SHORTCOMINGS OF THE REPORT SAYING THAT NUMBERS ARE LIKELY THEN IT'S IT'S DIFFICULT TO DIFFICULT TO HANDLE THAT.
A VERY HAPPY THESE CONVERSATIONS HAVE HAVE BEEN HAPPEN, WHICH IS CERTAINLY HEARTBREAKING.
YOU KNOW, NEARLY NEARLY 1000 AND IT MIGHT BE MORE RUNNING PRESTON, WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO THIS SAME THING.
THE SAME YOU KNOW, I'M HAPPY THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THE SNOW FOR MOST OF THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE DOWN HERE.
KNEW THAT WOULD HAPPEN CANADA.
FIND ITS WAY BEYOND HERE IN THE U.S. WHERE SO MANY THINGS WILL HAPPEN TO THE CHILDREN UP AT THESE BOARDING SCHOOLS AND NOW WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THEY PLACE HERE IN UNITED STATES AS WELL.
AND THE FINDINGS, BURIAL GROUNDS AND I'M GLAD TO SEE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THE SNOW.
YEAH, OF COURSE.
WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IN CANADA'S THE DISCOVERY OF OF SEVERAL MASS GRAVES OF OF NATIVE CHILDREN WHO FOUND BURIED ON THOSE GROUNDS.
YOU KNOW, DESPITE THE MANY ATTEMPTS THAT WE KNOW OF TO TO KILL INDIGENOUS CULTURES, INDIVIDUALS LIKE YOURSELF, HE PERSEVERED.
YOU CONTINUE TO EXERCISE YOUR CULTURAL PRACTICES.
BRADFORD, HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO PRESERVE THE CULTURE THROUGH YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE?
EVERYDAY LIFE IS CULTURE IS THE BIG THINGS.
AND IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS.
IT'S NOT JUST HOLIDAYS AND AND SEASONS.
IT'S THE WAY YOU CREATE YOUR RELATIVES.
THE IDEA OF WHO AND WHAT YOUR RELATIVES ARE.
THERE'S A LOT OF SMALL WAYS I CAN I CAN DO THAT GOING OUTSIDE AND JUST BEING THANKFUL FOR OUR LAND AND OUR WATERS.
A BIGGER I'VE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS BECAUSE MY COMMUNITY IS PRETTY WIDESPREAD PLAYING DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS AND WITH A A FOCUS ON MIAMI CULTURE AS SORT OF THE BASIS OF IT HAS BEEN GREAT WAY TO JUST SPEND TIME TOGETHER AS PEOPLE AND ACTIVELY.
I'M ACTIVELY SHARE OUR CULTURE AND LANGUAGE.
ONLY HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.
I'M RENEE, YOU'RE AN INTER-TRIBAL EDUCATORS.
HE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH THE YOUTH.
HOW DO YOU TALK ABOUT THE SORT OF TYPICAL HISTORIES WITH YOUNG PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN?
MORE LIST?
I USED USE THE HOOP.
WHEN I TELL MY STORIES AND I COULD USE THIS JUST TO SHOW THAT OUR CULTURE.
IS LIKE THE COOP.
MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT WE WERE RACE OF PEOPLE TARGETED FOR GENOCIDE.
TOOK HER CHILDREN FROM CUT THEIR HAIR OFF AND, YOU KNOW, ABUSE FOR SPEAKING YOUR LANGUAGE.
AS OUR CULTURE STILL HERE TODAY, YOU SEE THAT THEY DIDN'T SUCCEED AND THE CIRCLES THAT REMINDS US OF THAT.
THERE'S NO BEGINNING AND OUR CULTURE WILL NEVER HAVE AN END AS LONG AS WE ENCOURAGE OUR YOUTH TO SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE, LEARN LEARN THEIR SONGS.
MAKE WITH US.
THEY'RE KEEPING THE SPIRIT ALIVE.
AND FOR THE NEXT 7 GENERATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE HERE AND A LOT WHAT I DO AT THE SENATE IS A LOT OF INDUCEMENT TO EVERYBODY, NOT JUST NATIVE PEOPLE BUT ALL COMMUNITY TOO LITTLE.
NO STORIES ABOUT OUR CULTURE AND WHO WE ARE.
TELL US ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT IMPORTANCE OF INDIGENOUS EDUCATION, OF COURSE, PARTICULARLY WITH CHILDREN LEARNING WHERE THEY COME FROM.
BUT CAN ALSO TELL US ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ORAL STORYTELLING.
THAT'S A GOOD ONE FOR ME BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY KIDS JUST YOU YOU COME COMES THE PHONE AND, YOU GO GOOGLE IT AND BUT FOR ME TO SIT WITH YOU AND SHOW YOU AND SPEAK WITH YOU.
THIS ORAL TRADITION IS THE MOST POWERFUL.
AND THAT'S WHAT A LOT WHAT WE DO WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR YOUTH.
WE JUST FINISHED UP OUR SUMMER CAMP.
WERE WE HAD 22 PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP AND EACH ONE OF THEM GOT LEARN ABOUT A HAND ROOM AND ACTUALLY MAKE ONE AND THEN BRING AHEAD FROM HOME.
BECAUSE THE PLAY, KNOW, THAT THAT THAT THE POWER ABOUT HIS HORRIBLE ORAL TEACHING AND WHAT A STORY THAT YOU LIKE TO TEACHERS, STUDENTS.
BECAUSE WE WERE LEARN YOUR LANGUAGE.
YOUR HISTORY WHEN WE BURN OR CEDAR, WE FOUND OURSELVES OFF.
WHAT ARE FEATHERS?
THEY KNOW WEEK STORIES, PEOPLE THROUGH IT AND WHEN THEY SEE THESE YOUNG YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY PRACTICING IT MAKES MY HEART FEEL GOOD.
BRADFORD, YOU KNOW, TRUST IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SIGNIFICANT FOR MANY NATIVE COMMUNITIES.
AND SO WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, EFFORTS LIKE THIS ONE FROM SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR, DEB HAALAND TO, OF COURSE, THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT IS THE ONE THAT RELEASED THIS REPORT YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU THINK THIS REPORT AND ITS RECOMMENDATIONS WILL SORT OF BRIDGE A GAP OF OF DISTRUST?
THAT NATIVE COMMUNITY IS HAPPY WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
I IT'S IT'S NOT LOST ON ME.
THAT SECRETARY HE'S INDIGENOUS WOMAN SHE'S THE HEAD THE DEPARTMENT I'M I'M I'M GRATEFUL THAT.
WITH HER LEADERSHIP THIS WAS ABLE TO TO COME OUT IT IT.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE CONVERSATIONS VERY DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS, BUT ONE IN THE REPORT DATE STATE THAT GOING TO GO A ACROSS THE COUNTRY MEETING WITH AS AS WELL OUT IN HAWAII.
TRUST IS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO SEE ACTION TO REALLY.
TO HOLD ON TO.
SO.
IT'S IT'S BEING WILLING TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND THAT PART MORNING PRESTON, SAME QUESTION TO TOTALLY AGREE WITH THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, A LOT WE CONCILIATION.
IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE PLACE.
AND AGAIN, SOMEBODY TRUST BACK ON CHIN SENSITIVE SUBJECT.
BUT I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT THAT HOLLAND IS MOVING FORWARD TO DOING THESE THINGS SO THAT.
JUST LIKE WITH OUR ORANGE T-SHIRT DAY, EVERY CHILD MATTERS.
AND IT'S A IT'S JUST IT'S IT'S A WONDERFUL FEELING KNOWING THAT THIS IS TAKING PLACE AND THERE WILL BE SHOWING SOMEBODY NEEDS TO HAVE THAT ACCOUNTABILITY FOR IT.
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