An American Indian Boarding School That Was Once Feared Is Now Celebrated
An American Indian Boarding School That Was Once Feared Is Now Celebrated
An old photo of the Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, Okla. Oklahoma Historical Society hide caption
An old photo of the Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, Okla.
Oklahoma Historical SocietyFederal Indian boarding schools left a decades long legacy of abuse, neglect and forced assimilation of Indigenous children.
Last year, when the federal government finally acknowledged its role — that painful history drew attention to a few schools that remain open.
NPR's Sequoia Carrillo and KOSU's Allison Herrera visited Riverside Indian School in southwest Oklahoma to find out how a school that once stripped children of their Native identity now helps strengthen it.
In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.
Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Karen Zamora and Mia Venkat. It was edited by Jeanette Woods, Steve Drummond and Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.