UPDATED: National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition seeking survivor stories

The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition Oral History Project will be in Portland from Monday, Aug. 25 to Friday, Aug. 29. It will offer an opportunity for those who attended Indian boarding schools from across the Pacific Northwest and the United States to share their stories and contribute to a national initiative.

“NABS’s visit to Oregon marks a pivotal moment for boarding school relatives to preserve their personal histories through professional video interviews,” a press release stated. “Participants' stories will become part of a permanent collection with the Library of Congress, ensuring their experiences are honored and remembered for generations to come. This effort is a cornerstone of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative — a historic undertaking to document, acknowledge, and reckon with the experiences of boarding school survivors.”

Oral History Project Co-Director Lacey Kinnart (Sault Ste. Marie Ojibwe) said she was “honored” to gather with Native relatives in the Pacific Northwest to honor their voices.

“We are committed to working closely with survivors, creating a space where they feel empowered, respected and fully supported as they share their stories,” she said. “Above all, we will ensure that every survivor who engages with our project is met with the utmost care, compassion and respect throughout the entire process.”

The NABS Healing Coalition will be at Embassy Suites by Hilton, 319 SW Pine St., Portland.

Survivors who attended a federally supported Indian boarding school in the United States by 1970 are invited to attend. To register, visit https://www.tfaforms.com/5092936 or call 651-650-4445. Participants will receive a cash honorarium, onsite portrait photography, a copy of their video, transportation stipend, a care package, support from the NABS team and assistance with a hotel, if needed.  

To learn more, visit https://boardingschoolhealing.org/oral-history-project or contact the oral history project team at 651-650-4445 or OralHistoryProject@nabshc.org.