In observation of National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools which is observed in the United States September 30, we share the following article which is cross-posted from the Women of the ELCA website. The original post can be found here.

The National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools in the United States is Monday, September 30. It originated in Canada as the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in 2021 when the Government of Canada passed Bill C-5, making it a federal holiday. Canada has done work in healing its Indigenous people and the trauma inflicted by residential schools by designating a day to honor the survivors, their families, and communities.

Why do we need a Day of Remembrance?

Residential or boarding schools inflicted trauma on Indigenous children that is still being felt today, generations later. Indigenous children were taken from their families, some as young as four years old. These children were often put on trains and taken as far away from their community as possible. Many of these children died and were buried on the grounds of the schools. Many that survived were no longer accepted in their own communities. Many of these children were forced to believe in Christianity and weren’t allowed to speak their language, sing their songs, or dance their ceremonial dances. This forced erasure of Indigenous culture is still felt in every tribal nation across the country.

As an Indigenous person, I am a descendant of four residential school survivors, my grandparents. I grew up listening to the stories of how the nuns treated the children at the mission school and how they forced them to cut their hair, learn English, and worship Jesus. In any other context, children worshipping Jesus would be a good thing, but when people are indoctrinated into a belief by force, later there can be some resentment.

I am grateful every day that I received, learned, and was shown the love of God in the way it was intended so that I can help my people heal with God’s good love. I am grateful to be a leader in a church, the ELCA, which is leading the way in reconciliation with Indigenous people.

Monday, September 30, 2024 is the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools. Learn ways you can support this day by wearing orange and more. Visit ELCA.org/IndianBoardingSchools 

Use hashtags #ELCA #FaithAndHealing #DayofRemembrance #WELCA

Learn more about the Indian Boarding Schools: ELCA Truth Seeking and Truth-Telling Initiative

Wanda K. Frenchman is an Indigenous leader in the ELCA. She is a member of the Oglala Lakota (South Dakota) and Lenape (Oklahoma) tribes and serves as the vicar for Native American Urban Ministry in Phoenix, Arizona.

A version of this blog post appears on the Cafe (https://Boldcafe.org) website.

To purchase the orange logo t-shirt, click here

The following message is shared on behalf of Vance Blackfox (Cherokee), Interim Senior Director, Ministries of Diverse Cultures and Communities.

During September, we remember the survivors and descendants of U.S. Indian Boarding Schools. On Saturday, Sept. 30, we observe the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools. You can participate by wearing an orange shirt and posting a photo of yourself or members of your congregation or community on social media. Use the hashtags #ELCA #TruthAndHealing and #DayOfRememberance. If you would like to support the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS), you can purchase an orange shirt with their logo. However, any orange shirt will work.

Throughout September the ELCA’s Truth and Healing Movement has provided opportunities to learn about Indian boarding schools, including conversations with boarding school survivors and descendants of survivors, advocacy opportunities and more. 

The ELCA is committed to understanding our role in the tragic and sinful history of Indian boarding schools so that we can begin to heal together. Further, our learning and advocacy related to Indian boarding schools will not end September 30. Our journey toward healing will continue through the Truth and Healing Movement and beyond. To learn more and get involved, visit www.elca.org/IndianBoardingSchools.

Next week there are two free online classes: “Introduction to the Truth and Healing Movement” on Tuesday, September 26, and “Indian 101” on Thursday, September 28. This will be your last chance to attend these classes during the Truth and Healing Movement. For more information and to join the classes, visit www.ELCA.org/TruthAndHealing.

For more information on the ELCA’s Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations, visit: Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (elca.org)