National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition

TO PURSUE TRUTH, HEALING, AND RECONCILIATION TO ADDRESS ONGOING INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA FROM THE U.S. INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL POLICY AND TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY LED HEALING.

EDUCATION - COMPILING RESEARCH CONDUCTED OVER THREE YEARS, NABS REFRESHED OUR INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL LIST WHICH NOW INCLUDES 523 INSTITUTIONS. THIS INFORMATION CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THE LAUNCH OF A LONG-TERM PROJECT AND PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION (NCTR) OF CANADA TO PRODUCE AN INTERNATIONAL INTERACTIVE DIGITAL MAP. THE MAP INCLUDES ALL KNOWN LOCATIONS OF INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND ALL KNOWN INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN CANADA. THIS HISTORIC PROJECT HAS ALLOWED FOR THE VISUALIZATION OF BOARDING SCHOOL INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS THEIR LOCATION, YEARS OF OPERATION, WHO OPERATED IT, AND A HISTORICAL NOTE. THE INTERACTIVE MAP WILL CONTINUE TO BE UPDATED AND EDITED AS NEW RESEARCH BECOMES AVAILABLE. INCORPORATING THIS NEW TOOL AND THE RESEARCH CONTAINED THEREIN, NABS UPDATED THE TRUTH AND HEALING CURRICULUM, DIFFERENTIATED TO ACCOMMODATE THREE SEPARATE AGE-LEVELS. NABS EXPANDED OUR REACH BY CONTINUING TO DELIVER BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS. NABS STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS CONTINUE TO BE SOUGHT AFTER FOR PRESENTATIONS, PANELS, AND INTERVIEWS AT EXTREMELY HIGH RATES, FRAMING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SPECIFIC CALLS TO ACTION TO ADVOCATE FOR COMMUNITY-WIDE HEALING FROM INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS. THE NATIONAL INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL DIGITAL ARCHIVE (NIBSDA) CONTINUES TO BE DEVELOPED AFTER A CONSTRUCTIVE YEAR OF SCANNING, PROCESSING, AND COLLABORATING WITH OTHER ARCHIVES THAT HAVE ALREADY DIGITIZED BOARDING SCHOOL MATERIALS. WITH A RELEASE DATE OF EARLY 2024, THE PREPARATIONS BEING MADE TO NIBSDA IN THE PAST YEAR CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE SCALABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PLATFORM AS DIGITIZED COLLECTIONS GROW IN THE SYSTEM.IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND, NABS PROVIDED SUPPORT TO 27 STUDENTS WHO ARE DESCENDANTS OF INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL ATTENDEES. EACH STUDENT RECEIVED A $3,000 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD.

DOI ORAL HISTORY PROJECT - NABS OFFICIALLY KICKED OFF A TWO-YEAR ORAL HISTORY PROJECT AND ENTERED INTO A COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (DOI). UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, NABS WILL CONDUCT VIDEO INTERVIEWS WITH INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES TO CREATE A PERMANENT ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION. THE UNPRECEDENTED EFFORT IS PART OF THE DOI'S FEDERAL INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL INITIATIVE. NABS HAS BUILT TRUST WITHIN THE AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE COMMUNITY WITH OUR EXPERIENCE IN COLLECTING SURVIVORS' STORIES IN A HEALING-INFORMED WAY. THE COURAGE OF INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS HAS INSPIRED OTHERS TO COME FORWARD IN RECENT YEARS, AND MANY CONTINUE TO EXPRESS THEIR DESIRE TO SHARE THEIR STORIES, OFTEN FOR THE FIRST TIME. NABS IS PREPARING TO CONDUCT INTERVIEWS WITH BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS IN VARIOUS REGIONS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.

HEALING - NABS CONTINUES TO BUILD UPON OUR FOUNDATIONAL GOAL OF OFFERING A DIVERSE ARRAY OF VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON HEALING GATHERINGS, AS WELL AS SUPPORTING BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS AND TRIBAL NATIONS WHEN INVITED. IN OUR CONTINUED COLLABORATIONS WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (DOI), NABS ATTENDED EACH OF THE ELEVEN "ROAD TO HEALING" EVENTS LED BY DOI SECRETARY DEB HAALAND. NABS STAFF WERE PRESENT TO WITNESS, SUPPORT, AND CONNECT WITH BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS AT EACH LOCATION THROUGHOUT INDIAN COUNTRY. NINE STATES WERE REPRESENTED BY THE ELEVEN EVENTS: ANADARKO, OK; HARBOR SPRINGS, MI; PINE RIDGE, SD; GILA RIVER, AZ; CHINLE, AZ; TULALIP, WA; MILLE LACS, MN; RIVERSIDE, CA; ROHNERT PARK, CA; ANCHORAGE, AK; ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. NABS GATHERED FOR A SECOND ANNUAL "NIGHT OF REMEMBRANCE," WHICH WAS HELD IN MINNEAPOLIS, MN, AND COSPONSORED BY ANISHINAABE ACADEMY. BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS WERE HONORED WITH PRAYERS, SONGS, AND A FEAST, ALONGSIDE COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND NEIGHBORS. NABS VISITED WASHINGTON STATE IN APRIL TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE ORAL HISTORY PROJECT FOR WHICH THIRTY INTERVIEWS WITH BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS AND DESCENDANTS WERE VIDEO RECORDED AND PRESERVED TO BE MADE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE WHEN THEY ARE READY FOR RELEASE. VIRTUAL HEALING WEBINARS CONTINUE TO BE OFFERED BASED ON POPULAR INTEREST. IN 2023, NABS HIGHLIGHTED DR. ROSALYN LAPIER (BLACKFEET/METIS), WHO OFFERED TWO SESSIONS ON TRADITIONAL PLANT MEDICINES. COORDINATING WITH TAKODA PREP HIGH SCHOOL IN MINNEAPOLIS, NABS PILOTED A YOUTH INTERNSHIP WHERE STUDENTS ENGAGED WITH NABS STAFF TO PREPARE AND FULFILL 400 CARE PACKAGES FOR BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS. STUDENTS PREPARED BOXES THAT INCLUDED TRADITIONAL MEDICINES, HOME-MADE ITEMS, HAND-WRITTEN NOTES, AND NABS APPAREL, AMONG OTHER ITEMS. STUDENTS ALSO HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF NABS EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, AND HEALING INITIATIVES.

ADVOCACY - NABS CONTINUES TO ENGAGE WITH COALITION MEMBERS, PARTNERS, COLLABORATORS, AND CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES ACROSS THE NATION TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND DECISION MAKERS ABOUT THE NEED FOR A TRUTH AND HEALING COMMISSION ON U.S. INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS. NABS STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS HAVE EDUCATED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THROUGH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS AT NATIONAL CONFERENCES AND VARIOUS EVENTS. ON A MUCH LARGER NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SCALE, PUBLIC EDUCATION ON ADVOCACY EFFORTS HAS INCLUDED ARTICLES THROUGH MAJOR MEDIA, SUCH AS THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, NEW YORK TIMES, AND INDIAN COUNTRY TODAY. AS NABS'S PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY HAS GROWN, MORE THAN 1,200 TRIBAL MEMBERS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND ALLIES HAVE JOINED THE COALITION MEMBERSHIP.MEMBERS OF CONGRESS HAVE INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO MAKE THE COMMISSION A REALITY. IN MAY, THE HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCE SUBCOMMITTEE HELD A HEARING ON THE U.S. TRUTH & HEALING COMMISSION WHERE NABS LEADERS AND BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS TESTIFIED. IN JUNE 2023, THE BILL WAS AMENDED AND PASSED UNANIMOUSLY OUT OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS AND IS BEING PREPARED FOR A FULL SENATE VOTE. IN SEPTEMBER, NABS HOSTED A VIRTUAL CONVERSATION ON THE NEED FOR A U.S. TRUTH AND HEALING COMMISSION WITH SPECIAL GUESTS REP. SHARICE DAVIDS AND CAST AND CREW FROM RESERVATION DOGS. NABS HAS RECEIVED MORE THAN 30 RESOLUTIONS CALLING FOR A TRUTH AND HEALING COMMISSION FROM TRIBAL NATIONS, REGIONAL, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, AND PUBLIC ENTITIES. IN JULY, RUTH ANNA BUFFALO, 1ST VICE PRESIDENT OF NABS'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS, REPRESENTED THE COALITION AT THE UNITED NATIONS 16TH SESSION OF THE EXPERT MECHANISM ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES HELD IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND. NABS'S EXPANDED PRESENCE NATIONALLY IS EXTENDED TO THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL AS U.S. BOARDING SCHOOL POLICY IS A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE AND IS INCLUDED IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.