Thanks to newly published research, there is more public information than ever sharing the truth of the indigenous boarding school era. Despite this, the path ahead for reconciliation Native communities and the groups that created these schools remains muddy.
Across the nation, including in dozens of South Dakota communities, Native American children were forcibly removed from their homes and placed in boarding schools as part of a larger effort to assimilate them into wider American culture – often with tragic outcomes.
It’s recent enough history boarding school survivors are still alive and sharing their stories today.
New research published by the Catholic Truth and Healing website now tallies 87 Catholic-led institutions nationwide – including nine in South Dakota. The complete list of Catholic-operated boarding schools can be found here.
Maka Black Elk is executive director of truth and healing at the Red Cloud Indian School on the Pine Ridge Reservation – a former boarding school. He serves as a consultant for that group.
“The thing that people don’t understand often about the Catholic Church is that it’s not a single institution," Black Elk said. "It’s not all located in one single place like the federal government. So, this effort was really needed in order to bring some clarity as to where all those schools were, who ran them, and where those records might be and how tribes can access them.”
Black Elk said there are many pathways to healing these wounds.
“We have to do what we can to support people in their healing effort, Black Elk said. "While that might not mean a day in court for example on this issue, it could mean other things. Other ways of finding healing. Certainly, all of our Catholic former boarding schools which exist in this state should all be engaged in this effort.”
But for real reconciliation to happen, Black Elk said the church itself must be present.
“Anything that the Catholic Church can do to assist in these efforts is their responsibility to – and I say that as a Catholic person myself,” Black Elk said.
Neither the Sioux Falls nor Rapid City dioceses returned request for comment.
