Most details about the lives they lived are lost to history, but records offer glimpses into their experiences at Carlisle. That's where 7,800 students from more than 100 tribes were sent as the U.S. government systematically and violently evicted Native Americans from their lands to seize them for white settlers. Several hundred people attended reburials in October, including relatives who shared family memories of their loved ones.
A report by the U.S. Department of Interior released last year found that Native children at these schools, located around the country, endured physical, emotional and sexual abuse. At least 973 died. The full number is likely to be much higher.
The last of the schools closed or transitioned into different institutions decades ago, but their dark legacy still harms tribal communities where survivors struggle with generational trauma. Tribes are still trying to repatriate the remains of their children.