Colorado seeks public help to locate cemetery at former Native boarding school

The state of Colorado is asking the public for help locating a cemetery at the former Teller Institute site, a Native American boarding school that operated from 1886 to 1911, according to The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. The site later became the Grand Junction Regional Center. A public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 21 at the Clifton branch of the Mesa County Libraries.

Estimates reportedly suggest at least 20 Native American children were buried near the site, located by Riverside Parkway and the Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado. Phillip Gover, senior director of Tribal and Indigenous engagement for History Colorado, said poor record keeping has made the search difficult. State law requires identification and mapping of graves before the property can be transferred, and officials say locating the cemetery will help guide memorial efforts and consultation with tribes.