THE NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN BOARDING SC

ORAL HISTORY PROJECT - IN A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, NABS CONTINUES ITS HISTORIC ORAL HISTORY PROJECT (OHP) TO GIVE BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THEIR TRUTH ABOUT BOARDING SCHOOL EXPERIENCES AND IMPACTS FOR THE FIRST PERMANENT COLLECTION OF ORAL HISTORIES THAT WILL BE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE. THE MULTI-YEAR PROJECT IS LED BY THE OHP TEAM ALONG WITH SKY BEAR MEDIA AS THEY TRAVEL TO OVER TWENTY STATES TO MEET AND INTERVIEW BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS. SEVEN WEEK-LONG SITE VISITS WERE COMPLETED DURING THE FISCAL YEAR, INCLUDING TRIPS TO NEW YORK, MICHIGAN, HAWAII, KANSAS, NEVADA, WISCONSIN, AND SOUTH DAKOTA. AS OF SEPTEMBER 2025, 263 ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEWS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED WITH BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT.AT EACH SITE VISIT, THE OHP TEAM ENGAGES THE RELATIVES OF THE HOMELAND IN LEADING CEREMONIES, ADVISING ON CULTURAL TRADITIONS, AND GUIDING HEALING SUPPORT FOR EACH SITE VISIT. AN OPENING CEREMONY WAS HELD AT EACH SITE VISIT WHICH ENGAGED 398 GUESTS AND A CLOSING CEREMONY CONCLUDED EACH WEEK THAT ENGAGED 447 GUESTS. MANY HAVE CONVEYED THE IMPORTANCE OF DOCUMENTING THESE HISTORIES AND HAVE UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE FOR THIS WORK TO CONTINUE BEYOND THE CURRENT PROJECT TIMELINE.

HEALING - NABS WORK IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT IS ANCHORED IN TRADITIONAL INDIGENOUS WAYS OF KNOWING AND BEING, WHILE COMPLEMENTED WITH CONTEMPORARY RESOURCES TO ASSIST NATIVE PEOPLES TO HEAL FROM INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA. EVERY ASPECT OF THE PROCESS HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO HONOR AND RESPECT ALL PARTICIPANTS, FOSTER COLLABORATION AT MULTIPLE LEVELS, CENTRALLY POSITION RECIPROCITY, AND TO CULTIVATE KINSHIP RELATIONSHIPS. ONLINE VIRTUAL HEALING CIRCLES WERE HELD MONTHLY FACILITATED BY ONE MEMBER OF THE HEALING TEAM ALONG WITH TWO NATIVE LICENSED THERAPISTS. AN AVERAGE OF 20 BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS FROM VARIOUS TRIBAL NATIONS ACROSS THE U.S. PARTICIPATED IN THE VIRTUAL CIRCLES. THE FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS HAS BEEN THAT THEY WANT TO KEEP THE CIRCLE GOING BECAUSE IT HAS HELPED THEM TO FEEL CONNECTED, UNDERSTOOD AND HOPEFUL. NABS ESTABLISHED HEALING INFORMED RESOURCES FOR SELF-CARE & TRAUMA NOW AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE AND SHARED WITH PARTICIPANTS.THIS YEAR ALSO FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING MORE SAFE SPACES FOR BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS AND DESCENDANTS TO EXPLORE CULTURE AND ARTISTIC EXPRESSION. WITH THE SUPPORT FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS (NEA), THE HEALING TEAM WAS ABLE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH 5 MASTER NATIVE ARTISTS TO TEACH TRADITIONAL ART FORMS. THE TEAM SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED ONLINE CLASSES FOCUSING ON MOCCASIN MAKING AND HEALING THROUGH SONG, WITH A TOTAL OF 45 PARTICIPANTS THUS FAR. THIS PROJECT IS GUIDED BY THE WISDOM OF 5 HEALTH AMBASSADORS: DEDICATED ADVOCATES FOR THE HEALING POWER OF THE ARTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES. NABS HAS LEARNED FROM BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS AND DESCENDANTS THAT RECEIVING A CARE PACKAGE FILLED WITH CULTURALLY RELEVANT AND USEFUL INDIGENOUS-MADE PRODUCTS ENHANCES WELLBEING, REDUCES ISOLATION, AND INCREASES COMMUNITY CONNECTEDNESS. CARE PACKAGES TO SUPPORT ON-GOING HEALING WERE SENT TO 216 ELDERS THIS YEAR, INCLUDING THE SURVIVORS WHO WERE INTERVIEWED FOR THE ORAL HISTORY PROJECT.WITH THE CONTINUED SUPPORT OF NORTHWEST INDIAN COLLEGE OFFERING NABS SPACE AT NO COST FOR A HEALING SITE IN TULALIP, WASHINGTON, NABS HAS DEVELOPED A PLAN TO STRENGTHEN HEALING OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVORS AND DESCENDANTS, OFFERING SAFE, CONSISTENT, AND CULTURALLY GROUNDED SERVICES AT THIS LOCATION. TWO STAFF CURRENTLY MAINTAIN THE NW HEALING CENTER, AND WE EXPECT TO HAVE A FULL OFFERING OF HEALING SUPPORT THREE DAYS A WEEK BY MID-2026.