Stories

Thousands of students attended Carlisle in its 39 years of operation. There are countless stories to tell about Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Stories of trauma and triumph. Stories of pain and resilience. Stories of loss and survival. We offer some of these stories in digital format below. Help us bring these stories to life by donating toward the heritage center and museum we plan to build in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. 

Do you have a personal story to share about Carlisle or the boarding school era? Do you have photographs, articles, or memorabilia from Carlisle that has been passed down through your family? We want to hear from you! We want to create a legacy that honors the thousands of students who attended Carlisle and thousands more who attended other boarding schools, and we need your help to create that legacy. Please share your story of any length below. 

Stories

Going Home At Last

GOING HOME AT LAST May 24, 2023 The Office of Army Cemeteries (OAC) is honoring the requests of the family members to disinter the human remains of five Native American students from the Carlisle Barracks Post Cemetery, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The decedent names are: Edward Upright from the Spirit Lake Tribe, Amos LaFramboise from the Sisseton

Jesse Paul & Nez Perce

Jesse Paul & Nez Perce As a young child, Jesse Paul (Ka-khun-nee, Black Raven) encountered significant trauma in his life. His father and all five of his siblings died in the Nez Perce War of 1877. After the tribe surrendered, Jesse and his mother were sent to exile camps at Fort Leavenworth, then Baxter Springs,

Carlisle by the Numbers

39 years of operation

186 graves of children who died while attending

140+ tribes

Hundreds of boarding schools, both private and government-run, were modeled after Carlisle.

Thousands of Students

Support

We want to honor the legacy of the children who attended Carlisle by building a heritage center and museum near the original school site. You can support this vision by donating, by contacting us to arrange a visit, or by sharing our website or social media. Every donation and every piece of information you share helps educate the public and keep these stories alive.

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