Away From Home

American Indian Boarding School Stories

January 28 - March 13, 2021


The United States government has operated off-reservation Indian boarding schools from 1879 to the present. The boarding school experience is a hidden chapter in American history that continues to profoundly impact American Indian communities today. This unknown chapter in American history, when the U.S government aimed to assimilate American Indian children into “civilized” society by placing them in far-away boarding schools, is revealed through personal stories and historical legacies. We have worked diligently to represent different perspectives and varying experiences at American Indian boarding schools.



This exhibition is made possible by NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities that provided major funding support. It is adapted from the Heard Museum exhibition by the same name, and toured for NEH on the Road by the Mid-America Arts Alliance.

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Additional Resources

Explore these selected resources to enhance your understanding and appreciation of the content and themes of the exhibition.

Download the brochure for an overview of the exhibition.


Brochure

Learn more with this interpretive guide inspired by an actual 1956 yearbook from Chilocco Indian School in Oklahoma

Interpretive Guide

Explore these selected resources available from the Irving Public Library to enhance your understanding and appreciation of the content and themes of the exhibition.

Resources AFH

Take a closer look at Away from Home with this in-depth site from the Heard Museum, including resources for educators and more.

https://heard.org/boardingschool/

https://heard.org/


 

View Guide