More Than 3,100 Indigenous Students Died at US "Boarding Schools"

According to a new investigation by The Washington Post, more than 3,100 Indigenous students died at boarding schools in the U.S. between 1828 and 1970, three times the earlier reported number of deaths by the Department of Interior. This yearlong investigation expands beyond federal records to document the impacts of cultural eradication policies and reveal that many of these schools were more akin to "prison camps" than educational institutions.

Lead author Dana Hedgpeth emphasized the continued ramifications of boarding school policies, stating, "The impact of these schools is still being felt in many ways," highlighting both physical and cultural consequences that Indigenous communities continue to endure today. Furthermore, the report indicates a grim reality where over 800 Indigenous students were buried in cemeteries at or near these institutions, underscoring the tragic legacy of forced cultural assimilation.

Read at Truthout