The Metro: The fight to document lasting harm of Michigan’s Native boarding schools continues

For more than a century in the United States, Native children were forcibly removed from their families and sent to boarding schools. Designed to strip students of their languages, cultures, and identities, the schools were created through federal policy, supported by state governments, and often operated by religious institutions. 

In Michigan, this system lasted longer than many people realize, with some open into the late 20th century. 

There have been some moves to reconcile this, what many consider a genocidal policy of assimilation. 

The state commissioned a study on boarding schools that was completed but never released publicly. Attorney General Dana Nessel has since launched a criminal investigation. The state, meanwhile, says it now plans to release the report.

At the same time, America is living through a moment that Native people recognize. The federal government is again separating families and using dehumanizing language to justify sweeping enforcement policies.

Leora Tadgerson’s work is pushing Michigan toward a reckoning led by Tribal nations. A citizen of Gnoozhikaaning, Bay Mills, and Wiikwemkong First Nations, Tadgerson is director of Reparations and Justice for the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan. She also co-chairs the national Truth, Justice, and Healing Commission on Native Boarding Schools for The Episcopal Church. 

Leora Tadgerson

She joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss the history and lasting impacts of Native American boarding schools in Michigan and what justice and healing looks like.