This week, we’re diving deep into what President Joe Biden called “one of the worst chapters in American history” — the Native American boarding schools.

These institutions, which operated for over a century, were designed with the aim of systematically stripping away the cultures and identities of Native American children, often through brutal means.

Trust me, it's not going to be a light chat; we’re tackling some heavy topics that might leave you feeling a bit uneasy. However, it’s super important to understand the history behind these schools and the devastating impact they had on entire communities.

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Special guest for this episode:

• Jacqueline Fear-Segal, Professor of American and Indigenous Histories at the University of East Anglia

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Highlights from this episode:

• This episode explores the dark history of Native American boarding schools, highlighting their role in systematic abuse.
• Over 500 boarding schools were established across the United States, aimed at assimilating Native children into white culture.
• The boarding school system was not just about education, but involved severe cultural suppression and trauma for generations.
• Despite the oppressive past, Native communities today are showing remarkable resilience and a revival of their cultural identities.

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Additional Resources:

Forced assimilation and abuse: How US boarding schools devastated Native American tribes | News | cherokeephoenix.org

Biden apologizes to Native Americans for abusive government-funded boarding schools | CNN Politics

The U.S. history of Native American Boarding Schools — The Indigenous Foundation

Historian: American Indian Boarding Schools and Their Impact | TIME

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And if you like this episode, you might also love:

Who Are Native Americans?

How Did Slavery Impact Cherokee Nation?

What is Thanksgiving?

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