Intergenerational Boarding School Trauma and Indigenous Education: Evidence, Equity, and Institutional Responsibility.

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Title: Intergenerational Boarding School Trauma and Indigenous Education: Evidence, Equity, and Institutional Responsibility.
Authors: Williams, Gara1 gara.nicole.williams@gmail.com
Source: Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin. 2026, Vol. 92 Issue 5, p6-10. 5p.
Subject Terms: *Boarding schools, *Trauma-informed practice, *Educational equalization, *Native American students, Cultural assimilation, Organizational accountability, Transgenerational trauma, Cultural suppression
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: The article focuses on the enduring impact of federal Indian boarding school policies on Indigenous education in the United States, emphasizing intergenerational trauma as a key factor influencing educational disparities. It presents evidence that boarding schools functioned as instruments of cultural eradication, causing lasting family and community trauma that contributes to institutional mistrust, exclusionary discipline, and curricular marginalization in contemporary schools. The author argues that educational inequities are rooted in structural assimilationist practices rather than individual or familial deficits, and calls for systemic transformation through culturally sustaining, trauma-informed approaches that acknowledge historical harm and rebuild trust. Counterclaims minimizing the relevance of boarding school trauma or framing trauma-informed education as lowering standards are refuted with interdisciplinary research and federal data. The article concludes that achieving equity requires institutional accountability and the integration of Indigenous knowledge systems without demanding cultural sacrifice. [Extracted from the article]
Copyright of Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin is the property of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: Intergenerational Boarding School Trauma and Indigenous Education: Evidence, Equity, and Institutional Responsibility.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Boarding+schools%22">Boarding schools</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Trauma-informed+practice%22">Trauma-informed practice</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+equalization%22">Educational equalization</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Native+American+students%22">Native American students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+assimilation%22">Cultural assimilation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Organizational+accountability%22">Organizational accountability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Transgenerational+trauma%22">Transgenerational trauma</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+suppression%22">Cultural suppression</searchLink>
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  Data: The article focuses on the enduring impact of federal Indian boarding school policies on Indigenous education in the United States, emphasizing intergenerational trauma as a key factor influencing educational disparities. It presents evidence that boarding schools functioned as instruments of cultural eradication, causing lasting family and community trauma that contributes to institutional mistrust, exclusionary discipline, and curricular marginalization in contemporary schools. The author argues that educational inequities are rooted in structural assimilationist practices rather than individual or familial deficits, and calls for systemic transformation through culturally sustaining, trauma-informed approaches that acknowledge historical harm and rebuild trust. Counterclaims minimizing the relevance of boarding school trauma or framing trauma-informed education as lowering standards are refuted with interdisciplinary research and federal data. The article concludes that achieving equity requires institutional accountability and the integration of Indigenous knowledge systems without demanding cultural sacrifice. [Extracted from the article]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin is the property of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 5
        StartPage: 6
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Boarding schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Trauma-informed practice
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational equalization
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Native American students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cultural assimilation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Organizational accountability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Transgenerational trauma
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cultural suppression
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: United States
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Intergenerational Boarding School Trauma and Indigenous Education: Evidence, Equity, and Institutional Responsibility.
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            – D: 01
              M: 09
              Text: 2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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            – TitleFull: Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin
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