Indian Schools, Seminaries, and Asylums

Beginning in 1878 the goal was to assimilate Indian people into the general population of the United States.  By placing the Indian children in first day schools and boarding schools it was thought this would be accomplished. Federal policy sanctioned the removal of children from their families and placed in government run boarding schools.  It was thought they would become Americanized while being kept away from their traditional families.

In 1928, a report entitled “The Problem of the Indian Administration”, otherwise known as the Meriam Report, was produced at the direction of the Indian Commission. The Meriam report was highly critical of government Indian policy with regard to education. The poor quality of personnel, inadequate salaries, unqualified teachers and almost non-existent health care were some of the criticisms leveled by the report.

The students, upon their arrival, were required to have their hair cut short, an act that produced much resentment among the new students. Tribal dress or clothing was not permitted as school uniforms were provided and required to be worn. Their children’s names were another connection to their home and family and so they too were changed and new “pronounceable” names were assigned to each. No effort was spared when it came to breaking the Native cultural ties.

We are providing pages that we have found which will help the reader find more information on Indian Schools, Seminaries, and Asylums. Lists of students names, tribal affiliation, residence and age in hopes that by searching these records you will find your native ancestor.

You will also find a list of schools and their address (as much as known) for further research of a particular tribe.

• Albuquerque Indian School
• 1924 Bloomfield Seminary Student List
• Canton Asylum
  In 1898, Congress passed a bill creating the only ‘Institution for Insane Indians’ in the United States. The Canton Indian Insane Asylum, South Dakota (sometimes called Hiawatha Insane Asylum) opened for the reception of patients in January, 1903.
  • Canton Asylum, 1910, List of Patients
  • Canton Asylum, 1911, List of Patients
  • Canton Indian Asylum, 1921 Male Patients
  • Canton Indian Asylum, 1921 Female Patients
  • Canton Indian Asylum, 1924 Male Patients
  • Canton Indian Asylum, 1924 Female Patients
• Carlisle School, 1911
  • Student Population by Tribe
  • Female and Male Students by Name
• Carlisle Indian Industrial School (lists graduates 1889-1910)
• Chilocco Indian School Records 1884-1980
  Founded in 1883-84, the Chilocco Indian Agricultural School was one of the first, large off-reservation boarding schools established by the Federal government for the education of American Indian students. It offered academic and vocational training to children of tribes across the United States. This dataset comprises an historical collection of manuscripts and records pertaining to the school and its pupils.
• Choctaw Neighborhood Schools
• Eastern Cherokee Training School
  • Eastern Band of Cherokee, Schools
• 1910 Census of Fort Shaw Industrial Indian School
• Indian Education
• Indian Education at Hampton and Carlisle
• The Education of Indian Females and Intermarriages Between Indian and White People
• Missionary Schools
  • Oahe School, Dakota
  • The Ramona School
• Oak Hill Industrial Academy (Choctaw Freedmen)
  • Permanent Improvements to Oak Hill Industrial Academy
  • Farm Life at Oak Hill Industrial Academy
  • Oak Hill Industrial Academy Closed in 1904
  • Oak Hill Industrial Academy Closing Day, 1912
• Oklahoma Indian Tribal Schools
  • Early Mission Schools
• Reeves Report, 1916
• Routes to Indian Agencies and Schools