My Grandmother Survived A Native American Boarding School

Eden recounts her Great Great Grandmother’s life, her attendance at a Native American Boarding School and its impact, while examining the ripple effect of generational trauma on her family.

[andreaholamon]

My grandmother was Mohawk of the St Regis Mohawk nation and she was sent to Thomas Indian School at age 10 and survived until she graduated and went to a hospital run by nuns to become a nurse. The fact that she made it out alive was a miracle! And it’s my grandmother! My father’s mother. This history is RECENT.

[ari-zona_icedtea]

Mine did too. She refused to speak about it. The only thing she ever mentioned was that she would count to ten in our language to make sure she didn’t forget it. They had taken so much from her that that was all she had left. Thank you for sharing your grandmothers story.

[divaglam]

My Chippewa grandpa was forced into boarding school. When he’d get drunk he’d yell about his American name not being his true name. Truly sad, but I’m dedicated to finding out his true name and identity not his white washed one.

[runningchief]

My friends mom had scars on her hands/fingers from wooden rulers. She would get smacked for not speaking english.

[kris-tkris-t]

My family and I are 100% Navajo, from the Four Corners in New Mexico. Growing up
There was tough, rare to find decent Medical, Dental Care and education. It tends to traumatize u at a young age. Members of my own family including my husband grew up in the dormitory. It is a normal way of life. Even today there are children who live in dormitories and go to school on the Navajo Reservation and off the Rez. When i tell others these days they are shocked! Yes there are kids (Kindergarten to Seniors in HS) live in dorms.
When non natives are shocked that many youngsters don’t speak our language anymore they are surprised. “What why! Don’t u speak Navajo”. There r times we get tired of the same questions, answering “because my grandparents, parents were punished & beaten, when they spoke their own language. They were told to speak English and only English!” This included cutting their long black hair! Making them wear “white man clothes”.
So next time, please think about this before u ask.

[biblegirl]

My Choctaw great grandfather was sent to a residential school as a child. Unfortunately he died before I was born. I'll never get to know his story from him, but today I remember what he went through. I know he had a white step father and it sounded like he only wanted his biological children present so Sam, my great grandfather, and WM, his brother, were sent away. He also eventually moved to California. I may have never known him, but I am proud of him. He raised three children who were so proud of being Choctaw, despite what the school wanted to strip from him. His grand children were proud of being Choctaw (my uncle even went to work for the nation for a season). Today I, his great granddaughter, have incorporated my Choctaw heritage in my life. I own full regalia, go to gatherings and pow wows, have met my chief many times, been back to the reservation, walked on the ancestral lands in Mississippi, and had a Choctaw wedding ceremony. I will never forget what happened to him and even before with the Trail of Tears. My five year old wore orange today too and these stories will stay with her as well. If I have my way, this family will never forget.

[laural]

This young woman is so well spoken. I think it took a lot of courage for her to share her story. Thank you for doing so.

[biblegirl]

My great grandfather was sent to one. He died before I was born and there are so many things I wonder about his life. I'll be wearing an orange shirt next week for him.

[Psychoticsavage]

My dad, aunties and uncles grandparents on mom and dad’s side along with my cousin all are survivors of residential school. My sister is a day school survivor. 1980’s

[Sopranostyles]

Thank you for speaking your family’s trauma and history. God bless your family and the generations that come.
Ignore the ignorant comments, they don’t deserve your energy

[torliebenfels]

"Sometimes I go about in pity for myself, and all the while a great wind carries me across the sky"
- Ojibwe saying

[StephenMountenayHenhawke]

My grandfather escaped residential school. Twice.

[celestialowl]

Actually refeshingly good buzzfeed content. Actual journalism

[FASCISMWATCH]

Great storytelling, sad stories 😢
Great honoring of her ancestors.

[sadie]

Thank you so much for bringing this to light BU. It can never be told enough. 😢

[angelfirenze]

I’m part Choctaw and Blackfeet and had no clue until a few years ago and two weeks ago, respectively. I am also related to Malcolm X and I wish I had grown up knowing that, especially knowing now that I grew up in Dr. Betty Shabbazz’s neighborhood. I just wish I could have known, but my paternal grandmother feels it’s a negligible amount. My maternal grandmother seems to have been ashamed of our connection and was in denial about it. Maybe it was too painful for her, I guess.

[marthag]

Thank you for sharing your story. Your really pretty by the way! I have loved reading and hearing about Indians since I was a child, now that I'm older I cant help but think the natural more down to earth life was way better that the peaceful people lived, not the war tribes. Especially compared to current history, big pharma, constant drama, big sports, Kardashians and cellphone and video game zombies we live with now. The history was horrific what the government did to everyone but most people forget how they unalived nearly all the buffalos just to force them off the land for white settlers. My dad and I have fought so many times whenever we discuss the topic, its a hot topic that makes him very angry. He cant stand hearing about the history and thinks I should just leave it in the past where it belongs, he literally has no culture and I miss not having a tribe to belong to😓. My family is very dysfunctional. We only see each other every 10 years or more. My dad and I dont talk anymore bc of so many things, we dont get along.

[dashiesbbgurl]

My grandma survived residential day school. My boyfriends parents both survived residential school.

[michellerindal]

Thank you for sharing your family story. 😢

[nicolemiller]

My father along with all my uncles n aunties were un residential school