Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes reclaim remains of 16 children from Carlisle Cemetery

The Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes in Oklahoma have reclaimed the remains of 16 children from the Carlisle Indian School Cemetery, according to WGAL. The disinterments were part of this year’s program by the Office of Army Cemeteries, which oversees the return of remains from the former boarding school site.

The tribes had requested the return of 18 children who died while enrolled at the school in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Due to the federal government shutdown, the Army was limited in releasing information about the two children not yet accounted for. Since 2017, the Army has returned the remains of more than 50 children to their tribes.