Boarding School Seasons

by Brenda J. Child

"Brenda J. Child, a Red Lake Ojibwe and a descendant of boarding school students, brings to light previously unpublished archival letters from the Flandreau school in South Dakota and the Haskell Institute in Kansas--letters written by students, parents, and administrators. This correspondance chronicles the emotional and cultural impact that boarding schools had on individuals, families, and communities. To assess that impact, the author examines several key areas: the effects of separation on children and parents; the dangers of illness; the nature of boarding school work; and the techniques of resistance and rebellion. The author's thoughtful approach and her willingness to let the letter writers tell their own stories allow the complexities and paradoxes of boarding school life to emerge unfettered by historical preconceptions or stereotypes. As a result, the voices of these letters become a testament not to the power of an institution, but to the resourcefulness and resilience of