Executive Summary and Recommendations HB 22-1327 9.1.23

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The document discusses the history and impacts of federal Indian boarding schools in Colorado, including the recognition of harm caused by these schools and efforts to better understand this history.

The document states that the purpose of federal Indian boarding schools was to culturally assimilate Native children by forcibly relocating them from their families and communities to distant residential facilities to suppress the children's identities, languages, and beliefs.

The document discusses that federal Indian boarding schools resulted in the loss of cultural identities, physical and sexual abuse, forced labor, disease, disappearance and death of children, loss of traditional language, parenting skills, and ability to pass on Native culture and traditions among Native families and communities, and long-standing intergenerational trauma.

1200 Broadway | Denver, Colorado 80203 | historycolorado.

org

To: Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs


The Southern Ute Indian Tribe
The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
The Colorado State House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee
The Colorado State Senate’s Judiciary Committee
The Joint Budget Committee of the General Assembly of Colorado
The Office of Governor Jared Polis
The Board of Trustees of Fort Lewis College
History Colorado Board of Directors
Representative Leslie Herod
Representative Barbara McLachlan
Senator Dominick Moreno

From: History Colorado


Dawn DiPrince, President/CEO & State Historic Preservation Officer
Dr. Holly Norton, State Archaeologist & Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer

Re: Federal Indian Boarding Schools in Colorado Executive Summary


HB22-1327: The Native American Boarding School Research Program Act

Date: September 1, 2023

In May of 2022, Governor Jared Polis signed into law House Bill 22-1327, the Native American
Boarding School Research Program Act. In the preamble to the law, the Legislature took the
unprecedented step in recognizing the harm generations of federal schooling policy has had on
Native American individuals, families, and communities. Specifically the general assembly found
and declared that:

(a) Beginning with the federal "Indian Civilization Act" enacted in 1819, the United States
enacted laws and implemented policies establishing and supporting federal Indian
boarding schools across the nation. The purpose of federal Indian boarding schools was
to culturally assimilate Native children by forcibly relocating them from their families and
communities to distant residential facilities to suppress the children's identities,
languages, and beliefs. For over 150 years, hundreds of thousands of Native children
were taken from their communities. Over 350 federal Indian boarding schools existed in
the United States. By 1926, nearly 83 percent of all Native children of school age were in
boarding schools.1

(b) Children at these boarding schools were subjected to the loss of their cultural
identities, physical and sexual abuse, and forced labor, and suffered the effects of

1
The May 2022 Department of the Interior report on federal boarding schools identified 408 federal
boarding schools between 1819 and 1969. This number is expected to increase as research continues.

HB22-1327: The Native American Boarding School Research Program Act Executive Summary | History Colorado | September 1, 2023 1
disease due to their confinement. Many children disappeared or lost their lives at these
schools, and their bodies remain today in unmarked graves on the school grounds.

(c) The impact of the boarding schools on Native families has been immeasurable.
Families lost their traditional language, parenting skills, and the ability to pass on Native
culture and traditions.

(d) The trauma from federal Indian boarding schools crosses generational boundaries
and the boarding school policy resulted in long-standing intergenerational trauma, cycles
of violence and abuse, disappearance of Native people, premature deaths, mental
health disorders, and substance abuse in Native communities;

(e) In Colorado, there were at least four federal Indian boarding schools: The Teller
Indian School in Grand Junction, the Southern Ute Boarding School in Ignacio, a
boarding school in Towaoc operated by the federal bureau of Indian affairs, and the
original Fort Lewis Indian School in Hesperus, Colorado;

(f) The Teller Institute and Fort Lewis College are currently operated by the state of
Colorado and it is understood that Native children may have died at these schools and
were buried on the school grounds;

(g) In order to heal from the generational trauma, we must confront the past and shed
light on the hidden cruelty; and

(h) Fort Lewis College has been taking steps to recognize its place in this history and to
find opportunities to raise awareness about what actually occurred at federal Indian
boarding schools and to begin the process of healing.

(2) The general assembly therefore declares that it is in the interest of the state and its citizens
to better understand and acknowledge Colorado's history with federal Indian boarding schools
and develop a roadmap for education and healing.

HB22-1327 therefore directed History Colorado to undertake an intensive research program


regarding the lived experiences of students at the one-time federal Native American boarding
school in Hesperus, Colorado, also referred to as the Fort Lewis Indian Boarding School; as well
as to identify potential burial places of students who did not return home.The research was led
by State Archaeologist, Dr. Holly Norton. This executive summary outlines the final report issued
to the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs (CCIA) on June 30, 2023, by History Colorado. As
outlined in HB 22-1327, recommendations were identified and made in consultation with CCIA
and Tribal Representatives.

In addition to the summary and recommendations required by HB 22-1327, Dr. Norton provided
the CCIA with progress reports on September 8, 2022, December 15, 2022, March 16, 2023,
and June 1, 2023, summaries of which can be found here. Tribal consultations were also held
during this brief period, as were listening sessions with Fort Lewis students and community
members, as outlined in Appendix A.

The research methodologies for identifying and investigating the schools is consistent with the
criteria established by the Department of the Interior in 2022 to identify and clarify which
institutions should be considered a federal Indian school, including:

HB22-1327: The Native American Boarding School Research Program Act Executive Summary | History Colorado | September 1, 2023 2
1) Provided on-site housing or overnight lodging; and
2) Was described in records as providing formal or vocational training and instruction; and
3) Was described in records as receiving Federal Government funds or other support; and
4) Was operational before 1969

While a large amount of documentation exists from the boarding school era, it does not always
record the information that contemporary people are seeking, nor is it intuitively organized,
resulting in needing large amounts of time to identify, collect, and analyze the appropriate
documentation. While there are occasionally copies of letters or other correspondence written
by students, the information is largely from the perspective of the federal government and those
operating the boarding schools, often obscuring the trauma caused by those schools. A team of
researchers led by History Colorado traveled to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., as
well as the local National Archives branch in Broomfield, Colorado. In addition to these
repositories, researchers accessed state and local archives that had information pertinent to the
research questions. The primary questions for this phase of the research revolved around
identifying the students who were sent to the schools in Colorado, identifying students who died
at the school, and finally ascertaining the relationship of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute
Mountain Ute Tribe to the federal boarding school policies during this era.

Summary of the Report “Federal Indian Schools in Colorado, 1880-1920”:

The federal Indian education policies in the United States are as old as the Republic itself. The
idea of assimilating Native people was a policy that existed alongside military programs of
conquest and genocide. There were key moments with significant changes in policy that
impacted Native peoples, including in 1879 the introduction of Henry’s Pratt philosophy of
military style, immersion boarding schools that ushered in the off-reservation system that had
such a drastic impact.

The report identifies nine institutions in Colorado that were financially supported by the federal
government, specifically the agency today known as the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), during
the period 1880-1920 (table 1). These schools were part of the system for varying periods of
time, from as short as three years to as long as twenty-five years. These schools included
on-reservation day schools, on-reservation boarding schools, and off-reservation boarding
schools, all of which served different roles within the federal Indian education policy, but
ultimately served the same goals of assimilation.

HB22-1327: The Native American Boarding School Research Program Act Executive Summary | History Colorado | September 1, 2023 3
Table 1. Federally Supported Schools for Native Youth in Colorado

Years in
School Operation/ Type Management
Contracted

Ignacio School >1884–1890 On-reservation boarding BIA


school

Grand Junction Indian 1886-1911 Off-reservation boarding BIA


Boarding School school

State Industrial School 1890–1926< Boarding and reform State of


for Boys school Colorado

Fort Lewis Indian 1892–1909 Off-reservation boarding BIA


Boarding School school

Good Shepherd 1893-1895< Boarding school Catholic Church


Industrial School for
Girls

Southern Ute Boarding 1903– On-reservation boarding BIA


School school

Navajo Day School 1910– On-reservation day school BIA

Allen Day School 1912– Off-reservation day school BIA

Towaoc Day School 1916- On-reservation day school BIA

The main focus of the report was the off-reservation boarding schools, with some additional
discussion around on-reservation and day schools. The first off-reservation boarding school that
was established in Colorado was the Teller Institute in Grand Junction, Colorado, in 1886,
established as an agricultural school. The Teller Institute was named for Colorado State Senator
Henry Moor Teller, who also served as the Secretary of the Interior 1882-1885, then returned to
the state senate in addition to having his own law firm. In all of these capacities Teller advocated
for and worked towards having boarding schools for the Ute Tribes in Colorado. The Grand
Junction Indian Boarding School struggled to maintain students throughout its existence, while
also struggling with on-site issues such as sewage problems and poor agricultural land. The
school closed in 1911.

The Fort Lewis Indian Boarding School was established in 1892 at the site of the former Fort
Lewis military post in Hesperus, Colorado, and closed in 1911, after lying empty for two years.
Just like Teller Institute, students at Fort Lewis were also subject to an agricultural labor school,

HB22-1327: The Native American Boarding School Research Program Act Executive Summary | History Colorado | September 1, 2023 4
meaning large portions of their day were related to doing labor that kept the school fed and
running, including agricultural work and “domestic chores” such as laundry.

Both schools also participated in the “outing system,” an informal program where students were
placed with families over summer vacations or for the duration of an entire school year, to work
for under-market wages as an agricultural or domestic laborer. Students were placed in
Colorado homes, farms and ranches, where they lived with white families. Many of these places
were near the schools, in Durango, Hesperus, and Grand Junction, but by 1909 there was an
emphasis on sending students to places such as Rocky Ford as industries such as sugar beets
ramped up production.

In many cases Tribal leaders and families from the Ute Tribes were able to resist compulsory
school attendance. In the early 1900s, finally meeting treaty obligations, on-reservation boarding
and day schools were established in Ignacio and Towaoc, Colorado. These schools gained
prominence throughout the early twentieth century, at the same time that there were significant
changes to BIA American Indian policy in general, and Indian education policy specifically.

In addition to the archival history, geophysical work has been undertaken to identify cemeteries
and burial sites for children who died while attending the Fort Lewis Indian School and the Teller
Institute. Geophysical investigations at the Fort Lewis Indian Boarding School cemetery were
completed in November 2022, and included ground penetrating radar (GPR); magnetometer;
high-resolution photogrammetry, and lidar. The boundaries of the cemetery at the site of the Fort
Lewis Indian Boarding school were determined.

Consistent with government-to-government relationships with Tribal nations, full results of these
investigations have been released to the Tribal nations who had students in attendance at these
schools. The full results of these investigations will be publicly released on October 3, 2023,
after the Tribal nations impacted by this history have had time to review, reflect, and process its
contents.

Dawn DiPrince Dr. Holly Norton


President/CEO State Archaeologist
State Historic Preservation Officer Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer

HB22-1327: The Native American Boarding School Research Program Act Executive Summary | History Colorado | September 1, 2023 5
historycolorado.org

Opportunities for Reconciliation:


Recommendation to the Colorado General Assemblyin regards to the findings of the
Native American Boarding School Research Program Act, HB22-1327
History Colorado
September 1, 2023

As per the directive in the Native American Boarding School Research Program HB22-1327,
required that recommendations be presented to the Colorado General Assembly to address the
historical impacts of the federal education system in Colorado.

Current recommendations are centered almost entirely around a program of long-term


commitment to Tribal and community consultation on this issue. More specific
recommendations cannot be made until we have the opportunity to properly consult with
affected communities. Expanded Tribal consultations will result in Tribally-informed
recommendations for resolution and reconciliation.

● Tribal consultation with representatives from 33 Tribal nations invited: These


consultations should be twice a year with at least one in-person consultation and inviting
the 33 Tribes with students who attended federal Indian boarding schools in Colorado,
as well as AI/AN organizations from across the state.
● American Indian/ Alaska Native listening and learning sessions: These meetings
should allow for descendent communities in the urban Indian population to provide
insights into future recommendations for reconciliation
● Travel to reservations of affected Tribal nations: It is also imperative that staff from
History Colorado can travel to Tribal nations who may currently reside outside of
Colorado to learn from their community members and more fully investigate their
archives and other repositories to tell the full story of the impact of these schools.
● Additional archival research: We have heard from numerous groups and Tribal nations
that they would like the research on this subject to continue, particularly in regards to
federal, state, and local school policies post 1920. This will require more care to ensure
that stories of direct ancestors—parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents—are not
presented or investigated in a harmful way.
● Full-time, term-limited Tribal Communications Specialist position at History
Colorado: This is a position that was established to ensure successful completion of HB
22-1327 and is imperative for continuing efforts. This position manages direct
communication with Tribal representatives and descendant communities, while also
assisting in the planning and logistics for consultations. Clear, open, and thorough
communications ensure continuity and prevent misinformation.

HB22-1327: The Native American Boarding School Research Program Act Executive Summary | History Colorado | September 1, 2023 6
● Full-time, term-limited Research Assistant position at History Colorado: Research
to date was performed by History Colorado staff and contractors. This position would be
a new position that allows for the continuation of the research, assists in organizing
documentation, data entry, quality control, and assisting descendants and survivors to
access information that has been collected by the state.
● Oral Histories centering survivors and Indigenous narratives: History Colorado
solicited an Indigenous centered research from Living Heritage Anthropology for
conducting trauma-informed oral histories of survivors of the federal boarding school
system. The research design proposes a five year timeline that includes informed
consent, engagement with tribal communities, travel to reservations and other locales to
collect the oral histories.

Appendix C details Proposed Budget to support these recommendations.

HB22-1327: The Native American Boarding School Research Program Act Executive Summary | History Colorado | September 1, 2023 7
APPENDIX A:
Consultation History and Key Moments for the
Boarding School Effort to Date

List of consultations and meetings with Tribal representatives and community members
While HB22-1327 has a narrow scope and time frame, the boarding school effort predates the
legislation. Many Tribal partners do not see an important distinction between what came before
HB22-1327, so conversations and consultations related to the Teller Institute in Grand Junction
are also included. Not listed are one-on-one communications with individual Tribal
representatives.

January 2021- November 2021: Teller Institute Task Force


Monthly meetings of the task force organized by the Colorado Department of Human Services
(CDHS). The primary goal of the task force was to identify steps that CDHS should take in
addressing the history of the boarding school prior to disposition of the property. The final task
force meeting was in person site visit to the Grand Junction Regional Center, and included a
ceremonial blessing of the grounds.

December 2021: Task Force Issues Recommendations and Disbands


There were three recommendations for the Executive Director of CDHS:
1. Multi-Nation consultations should be initiated between the State of Colorado and the
Tribes who had students with documented attendance at the Teller Institute.
2. Perform on the ground work to help determine whether there were burials on the
grounds of the Grand Junction Regional Center.
3. With the primary purpose of the task force being achieved, it was recommended that
the task force disband.

April 26, 2022: Consultation for the Teller Institute, led by CDHS
Representatives from five Tribal nations, CDHS, the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs
(CCIA) and History Colorado as well as subject matter experts in the archival and geophysical
investigations of the school
Key decisions and recommendations included identifying culturally sensitive methodologies for
carrying out all aspects of the research, including what best practices should be in anticipation
of additional historic boarding schools, including Fort Lewis, being investigated in Colorado.

July 1, 2022: Native American Boarding School Research Program Act, HB22-1327 goes
into Effect

Sept 8, 2022: CCIA quarterly meeting


First progress related to activities in HB22-1327: included information around contracting with
outside vendors and the anticipated field and research schedule.

August 2022: Geophysical Data was collected at the Grand Junction Regional Center
Ceremonial blessings were performed.

APPENDIX A | Consultation History and Key Moments for the Boarding School Effort to Date | September 1, 2023 8
October 1, 2022: Orange Shirt Day
History Colorado staff participated in a panel discussion on the boarding school history and
current efforts with representatives from Native American Rights Fund and the Department of
the Interior at the Denver Indian Family Resource Center

October 11, 2022: Invited Lecture, “Federal Indian Boarding Schools in Colorado”
Co-presented a talk on the history of boarding schools with Garret Briggs, Southern Ute THPO,
for lecture sponsored jointly by the Colorado Archaeological Society and Crow Canyon
Archaeological Center

October 26, 2022: Fort Lewis Indian Boarding School Consultation


Leadership and representatives of Tribes identified having students at FLIBS as of 10/2022
were invited, representatives from Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Tohono
O’odham attended. The plan for geophysical investigations of the Fort Lewis Indian Boarding
School cemetery were approved.

October 27, 2022: Teller Institute/Grand Junction Indian Boarding School Consultation
Leadership and representatives of Tribes identified having students at GJIS as of 10/2022 were
invited, representatives from Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Tohono
O’odham attended. Next phase of geophysical investigations for the Grand Junction Regional
Center were approved.

October 27, 2022: Fort Lewis Indian Boarding School Site Visit
Included representatives from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe,
History Colorado, Fort Lewis College, and the geophysical experts and archaeologists from
Statistical Research Inc. Specific on-the-ground conditions were discussed and investigations
approved, ceremonial blessings were performed.

October 28, 2022: Fort Lewis College Listening Sessions


Two sessions, one centering students and the other Native faculty, to understand the concerns
and perspectives of the FLC community, as well as answer questions related to the legislations
and studies being conducted.

November 2022- December 2022: Geophysical Data Collected at Fort Lewis Cemetery

December 15, 2022: CCIA quarterly meeting


Second progress related to activities in HB22-1327: included information around contracting
with outside vendors and the anticipated field and research schedule regarding archival
research trip to Washington, D.C. and completed geophysical data collection. Updates related to
the Teller Institute included the passage of a State Historical Fund grant to Colorado School of
Mines to finalize geophysical investigations. CDHS had also created a protected website to
share sensitive information with Tribal partners.

January 23, 2023: Update with Ute Tribal Partners


Updated representatives from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe on progress and answered
questions specific to the research to date. Had separate but related telephone conversations
with Ute Mountain Ute representatives.

APPENDIX A | Consultation History and Key Moments for the Boarding School Effort to Date | September 1, 2023 9
February 8, 2023: Fort Lewis College listening session History Colorado and CCIA staff
joined FLC Trustees in participation in round table discussions led by students outlining their
desires and recommendations for future reconciliation efforts related to boarding school
histories.

February 10, 2013: Saving Places Conference, Boulder Colorado


Dawn DiPrince led a panel discussion entitled “Are you a Good Ancestor? Preservation is
Generational Work” which included conversations around the national Boarding School effort by
staff from NARF.

March 16, 2023: CCIA quarterly meeting


Third progress report identifying the advancement of research, and final steps towards
producing the final report, as well as any talks, lectures, or presentations related to the boarding
school effort.

April 5, 2023: Invited Lecture, Federal Indian Boarding Schools in Colorado


Staff from History Colorado, CCIA, and Fort Lewis College participated in a panel discussion
hosted by the Colorado Department of Healthcare Policy & Financing (HCPF).

April 5, 2023: Invited Discussion, Public History and the Grand Junction Indian School
Staff from History Colorado and Alpine Archaeological Services discussed the role of public
historians and federal Indian education policy with class from Colorado Mesa University.

May 2023: CDHS Hires Tribal Liaison


CDHS Tribal Liaison begins intensive one-on-one conversations with Tribal representatives who
had students who attended the Teller Institute.

June 1, 2023:CCIA quarterly meeting


Final progress report to the CCIA confirming that History Colorado was on track to present
findings to the Commission at the end of the month.

June 30, 2023: CCIA receives report of findings from History Colorado

August 16, 2023: Listening Session with leaders from AI/AN Community Organizations
Staff from History Colorado, CCIA, and Fort Lewis College presented a broad overview of the
boarding school effort to date and requested feedback for immediate next steps as well as
long-term efforts to seek resolution on the impacts of federal Indian education policy.

August 17, 2023: Tribal Consultation


Leadership and representatives of 33 Tribes identified having students at GJIS and FLIBS as of
June 30, 2023 were invited. Staff from History Colorado, CCIA, and Fort Lewis College
presented a broad overview of the boarding school effort to date and requested feedback for
immediate next steps as well as long-term efforts to seek resolution on the impacts of federal
Indian education policy.

APPENDIX A | Consultation History and Key Moments for the Boarding School Effort to Date | September 1, 2023 10
September 1, 2023: Executive summary and recommendations delivered by History
Colorado per the terms of HB22-1327

APPENDIX A | Consultation History and Key Moments for the Boarding School Effort to Date | September 1, 2023 11
APPENDIX B:
HB22-1327 Synopsis

The Native American Boarding School Research Program, HB22-1327 directed History
Colorado to perform a number of activities in order to understand the impacts of the federal
Indian boarding schools, particularly the Fort Lewis Indian Boarding School in Hesperus,
Colorado. A summary of the work conducted to meet the directives as per the legislation is
provided below. Each section has been expanded upon in subsequent chapters or sections of
this report.

Section 2(b)(I) THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MAY ENTER INTO AN


AGREEMENT WITH A THIRD-PARTY RESEARCH ENTITY TO CONDUCT PARTS OF
THE RESEARCH DESCRIBED IN THIS SUBSECTION (3).

History Colorado entered into several third-party agreements in order to meet the requirements
of the legislation, including agreements with Alpine Archaeological Consultants; Statistical
Research, Inc; AECOM; Heritech Consulting Services; Living Heritage West, LLC; and Steve
Grinstead Editing and Writing Services. These subject matter experts were procured using
funding provided by the Colorado State Legislature in association with HB22-1327. In addition,
the services of the Colorado School of Mines have been procured to conduct geophysical
investigations at the Teller Institute, also known as the Grand Junction Indian Boarding School,
in Grand Junction, Colorado. The Colorado School of Mines has applied for and been awarded
State Historical Fund grants in order to complete this research.

Section 2(II) IDENTIFY AND MAP GRAVES OF NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENTS


BURIED AT THE FEDERAL INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL AT FORT LEWIS AND
OFF-CAMPUS CEMETERIES BY USING RESEARCH METHODS DETERMINED
DURING CONSULTATION WITH THE SOUTHERN UTE TRIBE AND THE UTE
MOUNTAIN UTE TRIBE;

The services of Dr. Jennie Sturm of Statistical Research, Inc. were procured to meet the
requirements of identifying and mapping graves of students who were buried at the Fort Lewis
Indian Boarding School cemetery. Dr. Sturm used a suite of geophysical survey methods
including drone-deployed LiDAR, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Red-Green-Blue
(RBG)/Near-Infrared (NIR) photography, and magnetic gradiometry. Given the tight deadlines
associated with HB22-1327, as well as rigorous State procurement processes, standard
methodologies for investigating unlocated graves were employed. These methods have been

APPENDIX B | HB22-1327 Synopsis | September 1, 2023 12


determined to be “best practices”1 in both the United States and Canada, and have been
approved by Indigenous practitioners and scholars. These are also the methods being deployed
at the Teller Institute by the Colorado School of Mines, and were determined appropriate by
representatives of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe, and
representatives of other tribal nations who were involved in the April 26, 2022, consultation on
the Teller Institute in Grand Junction. Geophysical investigations were conducted in November
and December of 2022.

(III) REVIEW EXISTING RESEARCH AND CONDUCT NEW RESEARCH AS


NEEDED ON EXISTING RESOURCES AND MATERIALS TO REVEAL NATIVE
AMERICAN STUDENT VICTIMS AT THE FEDERAL INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL
AT FORT LEWIS;

There has been extensive research conducted between July 1, 2022, when this bill went into
effect, and today, June 30, 2023, when the final report is due. Archives at the federal, state, and
local levels have been combed for information, and the methodology of that archival research is
described in more detail in the report. In addition, the subject matter experts who have
participated in this study have spoken to tribal members, survivors, descendants, local
historians, cemetery operators, and others regarding the history of the federal Indian schools in
this state, as well as engaging with the previously published scholarly literature on the subject.

(IV) REVIEW WRITTEN AND RECORDED HISTORY AND ORAL HISTORY


DESCRIBING THE EXPERIENCES AND TRAUMA OF STUDENTS ATTENDING THE
FEDERAL INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL AT FORT LEWIS AND THEIR FAMILIES;
AND (V) INTERVIEW THOSE WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE EXPERIENCES AND
TRAUMA EXPERIENCED BY NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENTS ATTENDING THE
FEDERAL INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL AT FORT LEWIS AND THE EXPERIENCES,
INCLUDING INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA, OF THE STUDENTS’ FAMILIES AND
DESCENDANTS.

This particular directive has been more challenging to achieve than the directives listed above.
Much of the recorded history of the Fort Lewis Indian Boarding School was not recorded by the
students or their families, and instead we have had to rely primarily on government reports or

1
Canadian Archaeological Association (2021), Recommended Pathway for Locating Unmarked Graves
Around Residential Schools. Guidance Document; Hamilton (2021), Where Are the Children Buried? A
Report Prepared for the National Center of Truth and Reconciliation, University of Manitoba, Manitoba,
Canada; (2018), NCHRP 25-25, Task 98, Practical Guide for Developing Effective Scopes of Work for the
Geophysical Investigations of Cemeteries. Manuscript prepared by WSP, Inc., and New South
Associates, Inc., for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO);
Small et al. (2021), Native American and Indigenous Protocols for Surveying Indian Boarding School
Burial Sites. Unpublished Manuscript.

APPENDIX B | HB22-1327 Synopsis | September 1, 2023 13


newspaper accounts of the lived experiences of the students. When we have been able to, we
have accessed the few accounts that do exist.
Oral histories were not collected during this past year. Given the short time frame for the
implementation of HB22-1327, and the need to intentionally approach oral history interviews
from a perspective grounded in knowledge of the history of schools in Colorado, cultural
sensitivity, and trauma-informed approaches, it was not a directive that could be accomplished
responsibly this State fiscal year.
While the directive to conduct oral histories arose from good intentions, I would ask that
we as a State government identify the purposes of oral histories. It cannot be simply a
performative action. The first logistical issue is that the off-reservation boarding schools, Fort
Lewis and Grand Junction, both closed by 1911, so there are few, if any, living survivors of these
specific schools. Many people note that their parents and grandparents did not speak at great
length about their experiences. Oral histories should be firsthand accounts of survivors of these
institutions. I would caution that oral histories must serve a greater purpose than simply
recording the trauma of already victimized people, who do not owe the State their emotions or
stories. If in the process of the State seeking reconciliation with tribal communities oral histories
are recorded, then we must also carefully consider the storage, access, and use of those oral
histories. The recording of oral histories must serve a purpose identified by the victimized
community and be put to their sole use alone.
It is my belief that individual oral histories will not provide any additional information
about the experiences of Native people in boarding schools that would change either our
historical understanding of the system or the impact of that system on tribes and families. If
conducted appropriately, however, these oral histories can be a valuable resource for families
and descendants. These oral histories may also prove to be therapeutic for survivors of
boarding schools, and could potentially provide explanations and greater context for their own
experiences. So when oral histories are conducted, they should be approached as a resource
for individuals and for tribes.
Some important aspects to consider as the State ponders collecting oral histories are
questions around ownership and access. It may not be appropriate for some or any future oral
histories to be publicly accessible, and it is appropriate to consider that such recordings, even if
paid for and collected by the State of Colorado, should belong to individual families and
descendants, or to Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, leaving tribes with the discretion of when
and how to share them.
To better inform the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs and the Colorado State
Legislature on how to collect these sensitive oral histories, History Colorado

APPENDIX B | HB22-1327 Synopsis | September 1, 2023 14


commissioned Living Heritage Anthropology, a cultural resource firm that specializes in
ethnographic and tribal consultation services, to produce a robust research design for an oral
history project. The research design, with greater detail regarding best practices, is available
upon request.

The inquiry related to the boarding schools in Colorado predates HB22-1327. Fort Lewis
College had acknowledged the history of the Fort Lewis Indian Boarding School and has been
working towards understanding the implications of that history and creating programs of
reconciliation for both the college and the wider Durango community. Similarly, the Colorado
Department of Human Services has been involved in a complementary, but different,
investigation of the boarding school that operated on what is today the Grand Junction Regional
Center since early 2021, although some efforts go back to 2017. We were fortunate that when
HB22-1327 passed, there had already been a multi-nation consultation specifically about the
Teller Institute in Grand Junction but that also included conversations regarding appropriate
methods of investigations, tribal ceremonies, and other matters relevant to both of the
off-reservation boarding schools in Colorado.

APPENDIX B | HB22-1327 Synopsis | September 1, 2023 15


APPENDIX C:
Proposed Budget for HB22-1327 Recommendations

Task/Item Time Frame Unit Cost Total Cost

Tribal Consultation One annual in $110,000 to $130,000 $390,000


with two reps from 33 person meeting for annually for one,
Tribes three years, in-person consultation
supplemented with with two
virtual meetings representatives each
of 33 Tribes

AI/AN Listening & Twice a year for $5,000 per session/ $30,000
Learning Sessions three years $10,000 year

Travel to Tribal On-going, 2-3 staff $150,000


Nations members

Additional Archival One research trip Flight, per diem, $24,147


Research per year for 5-7 lodging,
days for 2-3 staff transportation 3 staff:
members $8,049 annually

Tribal Three years Salary: $60,000 $259,200


Communications Benefits: $22,500
Specialist term-limited Other: $2,735
FTE

Research Assistant Three Years Salary: $55,000 $237,950


term-limited FTE Benefits: $21,000
Other: $2,735

Oral histories Five Years $118,242


centering survivors
and Indigenous
narratives

Total $1,209,539

APPENDIX C | Proposed Budget for HB22-1327 recommendations | September 1, 2023 16

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