A Forgotten Chapter in American HistoryThe Carlisle Indian School, in operation from 1879 to 1918, was a social experiment. Its main purpose was to assimilate and acculturate young Native Americans, who lived isolated from their tribes. Most of the more than 10,000 students who attended Carlisle, which was created by an army general and backed by the U.S. government, were forbidden to speak their own languages and forced to transform their identities – to be more "civilized."
On the left is Navajo Tom Torlino
upon his arrival at the Carlisle School.
On the right, is Tom Torlino three years later.
From Photographs From Indian Boarding SchoolsWhen Puerto Rico was placed under U.S. control at the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898, a group of about 60 young Puerto Ricans were sent to the Carlisle Indian School. Their story has yet to be told.
Participate in a conversation about this almost forgotten chapter of American history led by Sonia Rosa, a writer who will discuss new information that has been uncovered about this mystery.
The event, sponsored by: Biaraku: First People of a Sacred Place and the Fellowship of Reconciliation, will be held on Sunday, Sept. 28, from 2 to 4 p.m., at the United Methodist Building, Conference Room 3, 100 Maryland Ave. NE. For more information, or to RSVP, call Gina Rosario at 301/567-0587 or send an e-mail.
