Thousands of Native American Children Across Decades Suffered Abuse While At Catholic Boarding Schools: Report
'The Washington Post' examined 22 schools that indigenous children were forced to attend
For decades, numerous Native American children, already forced into Catholic boarding schools to be stripped of their cultural identities, suffered repeat sexual abuse at the hands of priests, brothers and nuns, a new report reveals.
An article in The Washington Post spotlights the stories of many indigenous survivors. Now elderly, the survivors seek accountability for the years of abuse and the subsequent cover-ups.
The Post reports that Native Americans were made to attend these schools, many of which were located in remote areas in states like Montana, South Dakota and Alaska, among others.
The paper examined a total of 22 schools, out of more than 500 nationwide, and found that over a 91-year period, 18 of those employed at least one priest, brother or sister credibly accused of sexual abuse.
In its reporting, The Post found that a total of 122 priests, sisters and brothers among the 22 schools were accused of sexual abuse involving more than 1,000 children dating back to the late 19th century. Most of the documented abuse, according to the research, occurred in the 1950s and 60s.
“They committed crimes under the cloak,” Deborah Parker, whose family members attended boarding schools, told the paper. “They did it in the name of God.”
Parker is the chief executive of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, a non-profit attempting to help heal communities affected by the abuse at the schools.
One of the more damning revelations of The Post’s reporting is presented via a chart examining the work history of Edmund J. Robinson, a priest accused of abusing multiple children. The chart shows that Robinson was re-assigned a dozen times to several Catholic schools or churches across four northwestern states, including repeat assignments at three different Native American schools in Montana and Washington.
The Post reported that in a 2011 lawsuit, Robinson, who died in 2014, was accused of sexually abusing multiple children at a school in Hays, Montana.
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Another chart plotted the number of individuals accused of sexual abuse at different schools across decades. One school in Montana had at least one person with a credible accusation against them assigned there for more than 60 straight years.
The story also features first-hand accounts of survivors who bravely told their stories. The Post notes that many survivors don't want monetary compensation, but rather official recognition that they were abused.
“It was the acknowledgment they were wronged,” attorney Vito De La Cruz, who represented multiple survivors, told The Post. “Finally somebody said, ‘Yes, you’re right. The things that you buried deep inside your psyche and your soul were more our fault.’”
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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