What Were Native American Boarding Schools?

What Were Native American Boarding Schools?

Author: Liam Heffernan February 25, 2025 Duration: 35:26
America: The Story of the USA
HistoryCultureNewsPoliticsSocietySociety & Culture

This week, we’re diving deep into what President Joe Biden called “one of the worst chapters in American history” — the Native American boarding schools.

These institutions, which operated for over a century, were designed with the aim of systematically stripping away the cultures and identities of Native American children, often through brutal means.

Trust me, it's not going to be a light chat; we’re tackling some heavy topics that might leave you feeling a bit uneasy. However, it’s super important to understand the history behind these schools and the devastating impact they had on entire communities.

...

Special guest for this episode:

  • Jacqueline Fear-Segal, Professor of American and Indigenous Histories at the University of East Anglia

...

Highlights from this episode:

  • This episode explores the dark history of Native American boarding schools, highlighting their role in systematic abuse.
  • Over 500 boarding schools were established across the United States, aimed at assimilating Native children into white culture.
  • The boarding school system was not just about education, but involved severe cultural suppression and trauma for generations.
  • Despite the oppressive past, Native communities today are showing remarkable resilience and a revival of their cultural identities.

...

Additional Resources:

Forced assimilation and abuse: How US boarding schools devastated Native American tribes | News | cherokeephoenix.org

Biden apologizes to Native Americans for abusive government-funded boarding schools | CNN Politics

The U.S. history of Native American Boarding Schools — The Indigenous Foundation

Historian: American Indian Boarding Schools and Their Impact | TIME

...

And if you like this episode, you might also love:

Who Are Native Americans?

How Did Slavery Impact Cherokee Nation?

What is Thanksgiving?

...

Contact us: america@podcastsbyliam.com

Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa - use code USA26 for 50% off your first month

Get the newsletter: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/

Brand & advertising enquiries: liam@mercurypodcasts.com

Want to advertise with us and support the American Studies community?

Email liam@mercurypodcasts.com and let's talk.


Hosted by Liam Heffernan, America: The Story of the USA is a deep and ongoing conversation about the forces that have shaped the nation. This isn't just a history lesson; it's an exploration of how the past directly informs today's headlines and cultural shifts. Each episode brings together a remarkable range of voices, from Nobel laureates and acclaimed historians to veteran journalists, to dissect pivotal moments and current events with nuance and depth. You'll hear discussions that connect the dots between a centuries-old political decision and a modern social movement, or examine a breaking news story through the lens of long-standing cultural patterns. The aim is to provide a richer, more connected understanding of the American experience in all its complexity. By weaving together threads from history, politics, society, and culture, this podcast offers a comprehensive and thoughtful narrative. For those who want to look beyond the soundbites and understand the deeper currents running through the United States, this series serves as an essential and engaging resource. Tune in for a consistently insightful analysis that treats the American story as the living, evolving saga that it truly is.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Official website RSS
America: The Story of the USA
Podcast Episodes
Study Notes: The Rules of American Football [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:57
America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.This week, The Rules of American Football - a brief history of the game, and everything you need to k…
In the Making: The Return of the Epstein Files [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:48
This week, we're talking about the DOJ's release of three million documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein, and Trump's suggestion of nationalising elections.Plus Sanam Naraghi Anderlini MBE discusses growing tension in the…
What is The Last of the Mohicans? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:56
Set in the forests of upstate New York during the French and Indian War, James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel has become one of the most enduring works of early American literature. It helped define the frontier myth, shap…
Study Notes: A Brief History of the 50 States [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:44
America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.This week, A Brief History of the 50 States. I’ll explain how the United States grew from the 13 orig…
In the Making: Is America About to Strike Iran? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:40
This week, we're talking about Trump showing signs of cooling on ICE in Minnesota, social media giants feel the pressure, plus Mr. Potato Head finds himself at the center of a legal dispute.Plus, the US are lining up for…
What Was the American Revolutionary War? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:00
This week, we explore what is arguably the most consequential event in the creation of the United States, reshaping the Western world by enshrining new concepts of liberty, equality, and self-governance. So I want to kno…
Study Notes: US Time Zones Explained [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:23
America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.This week, US time zones: what they are, why they exist, and a few quick tips so you don’t miss a lec…
In the Making: The End of the Special Relationship [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:23
This week, on America: In the Making…Will Greenland be the death of the UK-US special relationship?AI-generated confusion after Monkeys escape a zoo in Missouri, andOne small step for Congress, one giant leap for mankind…
Who is JFK? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:33
Today, we turn our focus to a figure who remains as enigmatic as he is iconic. Ascending to the presidency at one of the tensest moments in American and world history, he energized a nation with his call for a “New Front…
America: The Story of the USA Returns Soon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:41
In July 2023, I launched a bit of a passion project, with my old lecturers at the University of East Anglia.America: A History was born.But a lot has changed in two and half years.And we thought it was about time we did…

12345...10»