The following is a press release written by the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS):

The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) is proud to announce the launch of the National Indian Boarding School Digital Archive (NIBSDA), the first-ever digital archives database on Indian Boarding Schools. NIBSDA is a groundbreaking project aimed at preserving and bringing to light the history of the U.S. Indian Boarding School era. Over the last four years, NABS has been dedicated to compiling and digitizing records from Indian boarding schools.  

Indian Boarding Schools hold a complex and often painful legacy in American history. For generations, Native American children were forcibly removed from their families and communities and sent to these schools, where they were subjected to cultural assimilation and abuse. The repercussions of this traumatic chapter continue to reverberate through Native communities to this day.

Through NIBSDA, survivors, families, researchers, educators, tribal leaders, and the general public will have the ability to access information that allows them to gain a better understanding of what happened at Indian boarding schools. This digital repository will include documents, photographs, and oral histories, offering invaluable insights into the experiences of those who attended these institutions and the impact they had and continue to have on Native communities.

“This initiative marks a significant milestone in NABS commitment to truth, healing, and justice,” said NABS CEO Deborah Parker (Tulalip Tribes). “The majority of all Indian boarding school records are currently not available to the public, by making these records accessible, we are taking a big step towards honoring the history and strength of Native peoples and building a more just and equitable future.”

In August, NABS released our latest research, identifying 523 Indian boarding schools across the U.S. This is the largest list ever compiled, and we know it is going to take years and the support from all of Indian Country to collect records for all of these institutions. 

We invite the public to explore this resource and join us in our efforts to acknowledge the past and create a brighter future for generations to come. 

For more information and access to the Native Indian Boarding School Digital Archives, please visit boardingschoolhealing.org/nibsda/.  

The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition is available for interviews and further inquiries. Contact Joannie Suina, Director of Communications at JSuina@nabshc.org to schedule.