Biden Unveils National Monument to Honor Children of Carlisle Indian School

President Joe Biden has established a national monument at the former Carlisle Indian Industrial School site in Pennsylvania, recognizing the plight of thousands of Native American students subjected to a harsh assimilation policy. This proclamation was unveiled during the final White House Tribal Nations Summit in Washington, D.C., on December 9.

This announcement follows Biden’s historic apology to Native communities just six weeks prior, addressing the painful legacy of boarding schools that forcibly separated children from their families and cultural identities. The White House emphasized that designating this national monument advances healing and honors the resilience of Indigenous peoples.

Encompassing 24.5 acres, the monument will preserve significant structures, including gateposts built by Native students. These remnants serve as a testament to the traumatic separation experienced by many children. Notably, the monument will not include the nearby Carlisle Cemetery, where the remains of numerous children lie, as efforts continue to repatriate these remains to their home tribes.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland stated that while no single federal action can fully remedy the harms caused by the boarding school era, the Biden administration’s initiatives seek to acknowledge and address this painful history. For her, this effort is deeply personal, as her ancestors were also taken from their families and placed in boarding schools.

The initiative addresses the recommendations that emerged from a comprehensive investigation into federal boarding schools, advocating for both an apology and a memorial to honor survivors. Deb Parker, of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Project, expressed that the monument honors both the survivors and those who did not return home.

The Carlisle School, the first federal boarding school established in 1879, operated until 1918, forcibly enrolling about 7,800 Native children from over 140 tribes. Its abusive practices aimed at erasing tribal cultures and languages set a precedent for numerous similar institutions across the United States and beyond. Many children faced not only separation from their families but also physical and emotional abuse, which has left a lasting impact on Native communities.

While the school site now serves as a military installation, the U.S. Army is currently working on a program to return the remains of children buried at Carlisle to their families. Concerns remain, however, as tribal nations have contested the Army’s compliance with regulations regarding the burial site, notably the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

The new monument will be jointly managed by the National Park Service and the U.S. Army, ensuring collaborative efforts with tribal nations to accurately depict the historical significance of the Carlisle Indian School. This designation marks President Biden’s twelfth use of the Antiquities Act to establish a national monument, reinforcing the government’s commitment to preserving and acknowledging critical pieces of American history.