Healing still needed in Native American communities

Feb. 10—Theresa Sheldon wore a skirt Thursday that represents the four generations she came from. It had four colored sections: orange for her great-grandmother, black for her grandmother, purple for her mom and light purple for her.

Although she didn't talk about her story within the color of her skirt, the others had stories of abuse and trauma that connect to the United States' boarding schools policy of the 1800s and early 1900s.

Sheldon, director of Public Policy and Advocacy at the American Boarding School Healing Coalition, spoke Thursday afternoon in Pullman as part of Washington State University's Foley Institute Lecture Series, with more than 20 students and faculty in attendance. Sheldon is a citizen of the Tulalip Tribes of western Washington.

Sheldon talked about the intergenerational trauma Native Americans endured because of boarding school policies, including her own family's experiences. She also advocates for passage of the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act, which has been introduced in the U.S. Congress.

"Interestingly enough, very early on in the 1800s, it was very organized, this level of assimilation, colonization, and they actually had a scale that would go from savage to civilized," Sheldon said. "The levels of treatment varied — and by 1816, they had a road map of who deserved to be abused the most."

With the lack of information of how many children had been taken, Sheldon said they have estimated that 80% of all Native American children were forced into boarding schools, many of whom were treated in abusive and neglected manners.

If a parent or guardian refused, they would be sent to jail, which is exactly what happened to Sheldon's great-grandfather.

"My great-grandfather was put in jail for 30 days because he did not want his daughters to be taken," Sheldon said.

Sheldon and other Native people are hoping Congress will act on the bill and establish the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies to study and report on the lasting effects of policies that placed American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian children in boarding schools.

"First, really, we want the president of the United States to apologize," said Sheldon, after a student asked what she hoped to see if it was passed through law. "That apology hasn't happened."

Resonating with most of the 20 or more people in the room, they nodded their heads in response, as she mentioned healing and justice won't work the same for everybody, but it could make a difference for Native Americans to hear those words come from the president.

"I expect the policy recommendations to be a huge gamut of everything and anything, along with taking responsibility," Sheldon said.

Carrillo-Casas can be contacted at mcarrillo@dnews.com.