The history of American Indian boarding schools in Minnesota

The recent discovery of 215 unmarked graves at an Indian residential school in Canada prompted the United States to announce its own investigation into the dark past of federal boarding school policies. Over the next 10 months, the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative will look into the history of the schools in hopes of shedding light on any past traumas. That includes identifying burial sites.

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Brenda Child, a University of Minnesota professor and author, about Minnesota’s own connection to American Indian boarding schools and what we might learn from the initiative.

Click on the audio player above to hear their conversation.

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