The topic that resonated with me the most was the Native American boarding schools. In the other Native American class I took we briefly talked about the boarding schools but never went too deeply into the topic. After that, I have always wanted to look deeper into the topic. So this is why this topic resonated with me the most. The part of the boarding school that I thought resonated with me the most was when we did those readings about the children buried at the school and how hard it was for the Native communities to get those children’s bodies back. The one part of the reading that stated tribal requests for the remains can not be made, only the closest family member can make that request, really got to me. Considering these schools closed a while ago it may be hard to find a living relative of the child’s remains they are trying to get back. I also found it completely astounding that the army also didn’t know which child was in which grave, making it very hard for the Native communities to receive the correct remains. This then means that some of the children may never get a proper burial, especially because the number of children with graves marked as unknown.
Another topic this week that resonated with me was the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act or NAGPRA. This was a federal law that was passed that applies to all agencies, institutions, and museums that receive federal funding. This law makes it so that they must consult with lineal descendants and communities on a number of things pertaining to the Native American culture, history, traditions, and more. One thing about this policy that surprised me was how some things don’t qualify for this law. For example, I find it confusing how NAGPRA does not apply to the Native children buried on lands in Carlisle. I find this confusing because this law is supposed to apply to all institutions and agencies that are federally funded, so why does it not apply to this situation? The land where the graves are is federally funded, and the people who run the land (US Army) are federally funded. So why is this place and these children buried here the exception? In one of the articles Jenna Kunze wrote “But the Army says that NAGPRA doesn’t apply to the Carlisle Main Post Cemetery because the remains are not part of a collection.” To me, this says that the only thing this law will work for is the items/remains on display at museums.