Indigenous children from western tribes celebrate their heritage and culture at the annual Father’s Day Pow Wow in June in Carson City.
Ronni Hannaman
November is Native American Heritage Month, and I have been scanning the local print media for some recognition and stories on our local Native Americans who played an important role in shaping the history of our region, way before America was founded.
Seeing nothing of note, I am weighing in just before the month ends to provide a bit of insight into the one of the most thought-provoking and interesting museums in Northern Nevada dedicated to narrating the tale of the controversial Stewart Indian Boarding School.
Located in south Carson City, this school was one of the 523 such schools operated by the U.S. government and Christian church groups across America. Until 2022, the history of boarding schools and the trauma caused to indigenous peoples was kept under wrap.
Stewart Indian Boarding School, the only off-reservation school in Nevada, was founded in 1890 by the federal government with the intent to culturally assimilate Native American children in the western states by forcibly removing them from their families compelling young students to abandon their tribal heritage and language to learn the ways of the Anglo culture.
Today, the 110-acre Stewart complex is owned by the state of Nevada and while many of the remaining 65 buildings are still intact, most need intensive repairs.
The first Indian boarding school was founded in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1879, becoming the model for future boarding schools. One year later, the Stewart Indian Boarding School opened in 1890 in Carson City, operating until closing in 1980.
As I continued to delve more and more into the history of our own Stewart Indian Boarding School, I became saddened to learn that the atrocities that were being forced upon Native American children nationwide also were perpetrated right here in our city.
By 1900, nationwide 20,000 Native American children were forced to enroll in boarding schools, growing to 60,889 by 1925. By 1926, 83% of Indian school-age children were being taught to abandon their culture, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior website.
Over the 90-year history of the Stewart Indian school, approximately 30,000 children walked through the doors of the various buildings learning to speak, read and write in English and to learn a trade.
They co-existed with children from 200 different western tribes, all initially speaking their own native language. By the 1930s, it is estimated that the school population ballooned between 400-500 students annually, although many of the records were lost when the school abruptly closed in 1980.
Many of the region’s Washoe Nation, who have lived in the greater Lake Tahoe region for thousands of years, were school alumni, many of whom are still living to tell the tales.
As one of the surviving and most intact boarding schools in the country, it is worth a visit to the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum to understand what a government can force upon an ethnic group.
The museum is well laid out and sensitively traces the history of a time in our history now coming to the forefront of our consciousness giving us a glimpse once again into man’s inhumanity to man. The exhibit highlights positives as well.
It is important to note that the mistreatment and forced assimilation of indigenous peoples was not perpetrated by the U.S. alone. Canada made sensational news in early 2022 when graves of hundreds of children were uncovered thus opening the proverbial Pandora’s Box on this piece of history shedding light on the many nations who treated their indigenous people in this same manner.
In 1990, President George H.W. Bush approved a resolution designating November as National American Indian Heritage Month to celebrate and “ensure the culture, rich history, and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation.”
Twice a year, Carson City is the venue for two colorful Pow Wows, allowing us a glimpse into the past of the peaceful hunters and gathers whose ancestral home we invaded. During this time, many western tribal elders and families annually gather to share experiences, dress in traditional and sacred regalia to dance and to celebrate their unique culture.
The Father’s Day Pow Wow in June is hosted at the Stewart Indian School and the Nevada Day Pow Wow is held at the Carson City Multi-Use Athletic Center as part of the Nevada Day festivities the end of October.
The large “S” one sees on the hill on the most southern eastern portion of our city reminds us that there was once a Stewart Indian School where so many memories still haunt.
You are invited to listen on your cell phone to the narrative of former students while touring the grounds on a self-guided tour. The Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum is free and an important part of the history of this region.
The exhibit profiles the challenges and opportunities experienced by the students. Open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except holidays. Tours can be requested. Located on the Stewart Campus. 775-687-7608. For cell phone directions, the address is 1 Jacobsen Way.