An investigation by The Washington Post found that three times more Native American children died at U.S. boarding schools between 1828 and 1970 than previously reported by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The newspaper’s year-long study reported 3,104 deaths, compared to the department’s July report of at least 973.
The Washington Post used government documents, maps, obituaries, and interviews, discovering 140 burial sites versus the government’s 74. The schools aimed to assimilate Native children, often resulting in harsh conditions, diseases, and abuse.
President Biden formally apologized for this historical injustice in October. Historians believe the actual death toll may be higher due to unmarked graves.
Similar issues have been documented in Canada, where over 4,100 Indigenous children died or disappeared.
Source: NOS