East Coast boarding school survivors invited to share their experiences
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition aims to preserve their stories for future generations
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) will stop in Rochester, New York, from May 19–23, 2025, as part of its Oral History Project. The project invites survivors of Indian boarding schools to share their personal stories through professional video interviews. These interviews will become part of a permanent collection at the Library of Congress, ensuring that the voices of survivors are preserved for future generations.
This effort is a crucial part of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, which seeks to document and acknowledge the painful history of the boarding school system. NABS aims to create a space where survivors can feel empowered and supported as they share their experiences, fostering healing through storytelling.
Survivors who attended a federally supported Indian boarding school before 1970 are encouraged to participate. “We are honored to gather with our relatives in the East Coast, to honor and recognize their voices, to preserve their stories, and this history,” Samuel Torres, NABS deputy CEO and Oral History Project senior director (Mexica/Nahua), was quoted as saying in a NABS press release. He added, “We will ensure that every survivor who engages with our project is met with the utmost care, compassion, and respect throughout the entire process.”
The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Rochester. Those interested in registering can visit https://www.tfaforms.com/5092936 or call 651-650-4445.
The Oral History Project will continue later in the year with stops in Wisconsin, Oregon, South Dakota, New Mexico and Arizona.
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