Lucian Painter carefully applied black paint to a stencil of an eagle on an orange-colored shirt at the gym that was packed with students from Alaska Native Cultural Charter School in Anchorage on Wednesday evening. He’s just six years old and has discovered a few things concerning Orange Shirt Day, commemorated as the National Day of Remembrance of Indian Boarding Schools. He then added a scientist and an infusion to his t-shirt.
“We’re doing our best,” told his mom, Heather Painter, as she assisted his younger siblings. They had plans to attend the school’s screening of “Grandpa’s Drum,”” an episode from the show for children, Molly of Denali, that examines the past of the boarding schools in a manner that kids can comprehend.
This, along with other events similar to it across the country is part of a wider more open and honest discussion of the tragic background of boarding schools that were used by Alaska Native people. Orange Shirt Day began in Canada in 2013 and is celebrated by a variety of people and organizations across America. United States. It is a way to honor the legacy of violence and trauma at school boarding. Local organizers say that these events are designed to provide healing for those families whose loved ones were victims of the boarding school system and also to avoid generations of trauma to their grandchildren and children.
“It’s an aspect of our heritage,” said principal Sheila Sweetsir when she greeted families to the school at the doors. “The more the community understands about it, the more awareness everyone has about Orange Shirt Day.”
Over 200 people signed to attend the event.
The gym was brimming with families with laughter and fresh painted t-shirts that carried messages such as “Healing begins With Truth,” “September 30” and “National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools.”
There were schools for boarding at more than a dozen locations across Alaska. There were a number of boarding schools in Alaska. U.S. government and some religious groups started the boarding school program for Alaska Native children in the early 1800s. They often separated youngsters from family members, and then forcibly introduced them to Euro-American culture as well as in the English language. Alaska Quakers are among the schools that have publicly apologized for their schools as did the former governor. Bill Walker did as well.
Tara Stiller handed out juice packets and cookies at the other side of the space. In the past, she began this program while as the director of programs for Alaska Children’s Trust. She says it’s an occasion for the community to increase awareness, tell stories and express grief.
“These children are the generation that will be the next generation to be aware of this tragedy,” she said. “Many of us suffer from the pain that comes from being silenced by government and the religions, integration of the boarding schools as well as the loss of cultural and the language.”
Stiller stated that she didn’t get to know the history of the boarding schools until she became an adult. It was not part of her course of study in college or school. She claimed she learned this through American Indian and Alaska Native leaders who told their stories. She described the event as “primary prevention” an effort to heal that occurs before adverse health impacts occur.
“They are aware of they are right,” the woman said. “Now they are aware and can begin to heal themselves and gain empathy, understanding, and love for grandparents and parents who might suffer.”
In the hall In the hall, the fourth-grade teacher Georgianna Starr greets the children and parents. She guides them to the crowded gymnasium or theater where Molly is from Denali is playing.
The historical background of boarding schools wasn’t an element of the curriculum at school as she grew at Scammon Bay, so she is happy to bring the topic of trauma in generations to her students.
“It’s always a reason the reason for why things happen as they are however, it’s also an unshakeable quality of our society. I say to them, ‘Your grandparents or parents are survivors”” she explained. “Our grandparents, our parents our aunts, our uncles We all know someone who was affected by boarding school, at some point or another. So one of the most important things to remember is to remember the details of their experiences.”
She stated that it is crucial for young people to know how their past influences the future and she believes that awareness is growing. She said that when the state declared Indigenous People’s Day in 2015 it was a positive move. The day is observed every second Monday of October.
The recent period of forced assimilation, and the repression of culture in schools for boarding in the state is a significant subject matter for children in the preschool age however, the preschool teacher Melissa Kahler Afelin says she can teach this subject matter in a manner students can comprehend.
“I believe that we have to acknowledge their contribution to the empathy component. We start with the emotions that are associated with the trauma of history,” she said. She employs an programdeveloped in collaboration with the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Alaska Children’s Trust that goes together with The Molly from the Denali episode. “We connect it to our grandparent’s,” she said.
Kahler-Afelin noted that it is crucial to speak about difficult things to ensure that students are capable of overcoming challenges in the future. It can be a bittersweet experience when students share their learning with their parents.
“Some families feel very emotional about the healing that comes from their children and also being able to speak about their family’s story,” she said. “But there is also lots of celebration and joy around traditional meals and the traditional names.”
The story was originally published in Alaska Beacon and is republished here with permission.
