Listening to Indians--History X: Unknown Children's Graves at Carlisle Boarding School

Between 1879 and 1970, 300,000 to 500,000 Native American children were taken from their families, often by force, and were placed in boarding schools where they could learn "white" ways. The motto of the Indian Boarding schools, like the flagship one at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was: "Kill the Indian, Save the Child." Children as young as age four were taken as far from home as possible to assure that Native parents and families could not interfere in the "civilizing" process. Many of the youngest children could not bear the shock of being torn from their loved ones at such an early age. They stopped eating and drinking. They stopped speaking. They went into fetal positions and died on the train, boat, or wagons taking them to their new lives. If they lost the name tags hung about their necks, there was not way to identify them upon arrival at school and they were buried in unknown graves. There are 13 such graves at the Carlisle Boarding School. This film tells their stories.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Listening to Indians
• Carlisle Boarding School
• Indians
• Children
• History
• History X
• Native American