During the Allotment & Assimilation Era (1887-1930) the U.S. government moved to assimilate Native peoples into American society and the economy. One of the most devastating tactics was the Indian Boarding School, which aimed to strip Native children of their culture and train them for manual or domestic labor. Students resisted in many ways: attempting to run away, stealing food, and even setting fire to their schools. Students also formed their own kinship networks.Although the schools changed over time, some remained in operation until the 1980s. Among the many long-term impacts, these institutions disrupted the intergenerational transmission of knowledge and practices related to traditional diets. For some community members today, reconnecting to ancestral foodways helps them reclaim parts of their identity and history.

Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Spirit Plate here.

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