President Biden designates Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, President Biden officially designated the Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The designation acknowledges the painful and traumatic legacy of the Indian boarding school era and honors the resilience of Indigenous communities and Tribal Nations.

"My grandmother, Lida May Konkapot, was one of thousands of Native American children who experienced forced assimilation at the Carlisle School," said Starlyn Miller, director of Native Lands Partnerships at The Wilderness Society. "This national monument acknowledges the intergenerational trauma caused to my family and thousands of others at the hands of the federal Indian boarding school system. I thank the Biden administration for having the strength to own the federal government's role in this painful past and the courage to create a monument so that no one will forget."

The monument is located at the site of the former Carlisle Indian School, which operated from 1879 to 1918. The school subjected thousands of Indigenous youth from over 140 Tribes to forced assimilation that aimed to strip them of their languages, religions, and cultures. The school served as a model for the Indian boarding school system, which operated for over 150 years. The announcement came during the final White House Tribal Nations Summit of the Biden-Harris administration.

The new monument, spanning 24.5 acres within the U.S. Army's Carlisle Barracks, will be co-managed by the National Park Service and the U.S. Army, with input from Tribal Nations and the Native Hawaiian Community. This collaboration will ensure that the school's history and its broader impact on Indigenous communities and cultures will continue to be told. National monuments are more than just landmarks, like the School Road Gateposts at Carlisle; they are keepers of stories. They preserve historical, cultural, and social narratives that otherwise might not be widely known.

The news follows President Biden's formal apology for Indian boarding schools. The Wilderness Society calls on Congress to pass the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act, which has passed out of committee in both chambers.

"The formal apology, the national monument, the Interior's healing tour and subsequent report are all positive steps towards reconciliation and healing for Tribal Nations and Indigenous people everywhere," Miller said. "However, progress must continue, and a better accounting of the full scope of harm and trauma caused by these Indian Boarding Schools is the next step, and so I urge Congress to quickly pass that legislation."

For more information on the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act, visit the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition website.

To learn more, contact Gaby Diaz, communications manager: [email protected]