A Legacy of Resilience
For generations, from the 1860s to the 1960s, our families endured the boarding school era, a time of deliberate cultural genocide and human rights abuses. These institutions were designed to strip us of our cultural identity, forbidding us from speaking our languages and practicing our traditions. This has left a deep scar of historical and intergenerational trauma, a cumulative psychological and emotional wounding that affects us to this very day. Yet, our resilience is a testament to the strength of our ancestors who survived and our continued efforts to heal and revitalize our cultures.
We commemorate this legacy annually on September 30th, Orange Shirt Day. It honors the story of our sister, residential school survivor Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, and serves as a day to remember the children who were taken from their homes many never to return. The message "Every Child Matters" has become a powerful symbol for our journey of remembrance, reconciliation, and healing.
Santee had a training school (boarding school) not all students who attended here were from our tribe. Many of the children came from other nations across the U.S. In recent times, our tribe has found unmarked burial sites/mass graves of children on the site of the old Santee training school (Currently clinic site). Our tribe made sure to give these children the proper traditional burial.