MVSKOKE RESERVATION – On Sept 28, the MCN National Council acknowledged survivors of Indian Boarding Schools before the start of the council’s regular session. The acknowledgement follows the adoption of TR 24- 092 in August, which declared the month of September as “Indian Boarding School Survivors, A Month of Remembrance,” and a proclamation by Principal Chief David Hill on Sept 12.
The legislation, sponsored by Representative Anna Marshall, authorized the MCN Principal Chief to make a proclamation every September, “calling upon the people of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation to observe September as ‘Indian Boarding School Survivors, a month of Remembrance,” and calls for appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to be developed.
It also included an action plan with the provision for an annual reunion of Muscogee (Creek) citizens who attended Indian Boarding Schools, and for the creation of opportunities to tell their stories. The tribal resolution also establishes September 30 as the official Day of Remembrance, and the days between the 30th and Oct 5 as the official week of remembrance and healing for MCN citizens. The programs are currently in development.
Representative Anna Marshall, addressing the full council and guests, stated,“I was moved to do the resolution of TR 24-092 as my grandmother was forcibly taken from her home in Holdenville and sent to Goodland, which was at Hugo. And so to me, this legislation is not just a document, it’s not just a proclamation, but it’s a testament to me of the sacrifice my grandmother made for me to be able to be here today. And for all of us that are here today, they sacrificed a lot for all of us to be able to live the life that we live today, of making free choices.”
After the proclamation was read, boarding school attendees were also honored. Guests who attended Jones Academy, Chilocco Indian School, Seneca Indian School, Eufaula Indian High School and Eufaula Dormitory, Haskell, Sequoyah School, Carter Seminary, and Goodland Academy were asked to stand for acknowledgement and thanked for their sacrifice, return, and willingness to share their experiences.
In addition to the acknowledgement, a number of council representatives wore orange shirts as a show of support. Wearing orange shirts in recognition for survivors began in Canada after a 2013 reunion and commemoration of the Indian residential school experience. It has become part of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, September 30, in Canada since 2021.
In the U.S. survivors, supporters, and activists have also adopted the September 30 commemoration and the orange shirt symbol to bring awareness to Federal Indian Policy and the Indian Boarding School experience. The National Day of Remembrance is still not formally federally recognized, but as national awareness has grown in recent years, it has been the subject of federal congressional concurrent resolutions. Presently, S.1723/H.R. 7227: Truth And Healing Commission On Indian Boarding School Policies Act, has yet to be passed and is still in committee.
Included in MCN resolution’s action plan is support for the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition and support for members of Congress to pass the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act.
To view Principal Chief David Hill’s September Proclamation, go here.
