Unlike schools of the past, Native American boarding schools still in existence have become places where students have the opportunity to thrive academically. Tim O’Neal is one of those students. Previously he lived in Wyoming where he was failing school and eventually transferred to the Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon. He excelled at Chemawa, and his story is similar to students from other schools. Scottie Nez spent two years at the Sherman Institute in Riverside, CA, and recalls how the school promoted Navajo culture and language through the curriculum. Of course, not all experiences at Chemawa or Sherman were positive. A century ago, children were forcibly taken from their homes and sent to these schools against the will of their families and communities. While these schools have managed to create positive experiences for Native students in the present, they also haven’t ignored their dark history.
Source: Aaron Schrank. “Today’s Remaining Native American Boarding Schools Are a Far Cry From Their History.” Feburary 26, 2016. Wyoming Public Media.
