Carlisle Indian Industrial School

The Carlisle Indian Industrial School, located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was a prominent American Indian boarding school that operated from 1879 to 1918. It was founded by Richard Henry Pratt with the explicit goal of assimilating Indigenous children into dominant white culture, famously encapsulated by his philosophy, "Kill the Indian...and save the man".12

The school was part of a broader U.S. government policy to dispossess Native Americans of their land by eradicating their traditional cultures and severing ties to their families and communities. Students were forbidden from speaking their native languages, forced to adopt English names, cut their hair in Euro-American styles, and practice Christianity instead of their traditional religions. They received academic instruction alongside vocational training and manual labor, with half the school day dedicated to practical skills. Discipline was often harsh, and students faced physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, leading to malnutrition, disease, and the deaths of hundreds of children.2

Despite the trauma inflicted, the school also served as a model for subsequent boarding schools and was the training ground for notable athletes like Jim Thorpe. The legacy of these schools continues to impact Indigenous communities today, contributing to issues such as high rates of suicide and substance abuse.12