The history of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School (CIIS) remains one of the most painful chapters in Native American history. It continues to influence the well-being and cultural resilience of Native communities today.

Christine speaks with Dr. Amanda Cheromiah, Executive Director of the Jim Thorpe Center for the Futures of Native Peoples and a member of the Laguna Pueblo. Their conversation returns to the history of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School and what it continues to mean today.

The Jim Thorpe Center at Dickinson College, supported by a $20 million gift from Samuel G. Rose, aims to promote Native voices and serve as a place for education and reflection. Also, the funds will support the Samuel G. Rose Art Gallery, celebrating Indigenous art and representing the largest single arts investment in Dickinson history."

The legacy of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School is still felt today, and it shapes how Native communities approach healing and education.

Dr. Cheromiah speaks about the history of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which operated from 1879 to 1918 on the grounds now occupied by the United States Army Carlisle Barracks. Richard Henry Pratt founded the school with the philosophy, “Kill the Indian, save the man.”

The school took children from their families and forced them to assimilate into white culture. Their languages and traditional dress were forbidden. Their long hair was cut, and their identities were suppressed. However, the impact of that history remains.

Dr. Cheromiah reflects on what it means for Native people to return to these grounds. They walk through spaces where their ancestors lived, studied, and endured. She speaks of the hope that understanding can help build bridges between communities.

This is not an easy conversation. But it is an important one.

This episode invites listeners to pause and consider what it means to remember. While changing the past is not possible, it is possible to learn from it and support Native-led efforts for healing and reconciliation. In doing so, it encourages a deeper awareness of how the history of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School continues to live in the present and shape the future.

Contact information for Dr. Cheromiah - cheromia@dickinson.edu. Follow her on Instagram @drcheromiah

Her podcast is Indigenous Revolt