I love searching for unique things to do and Karen was totally up for the Frances Humphrey Lecture Series at the Nevada State Museum. The topic: The Future of the Stewart Indian School by Sherry L. Rupert.

The presenter, Sherry L. Rupert, is the Executive Director of the State of Nevada Indian Commission. She shared with us the sad tale of how life was for Native Americans right here in Carson City. Established in 1890, the Stewart Indian School was one of the first 25 of hundreds of Indian Boarding Schools instituted across the nation to assimilate American Indian children into mainstream culture. The school was open for 90 years and educated over 30,000 American Indian students in the multi-colored stone structures. The 110-acre campus, with over 65 buildings, is the best example of an intact campus that still remains.
Native American boarding schools were established in the United States, beginning in the 1880s, to educate and assimilate Native American children according to Euro-American standards. The assimilation was forced through appearance changes with haircuts, children were forbidden to speak their native languages, and traditional names were replaced by new European-American names (to both "civilize" and "Christianize"). The experience of the schools was often harsh, especially for the younger children who were forcibly separated from their families. Originally, they were encouraged or forced to abandon their Native American identities and cultures.
After hearing about the school's past, we knew we had to see it firsthand. Wow.
Karen and I picked up a map and headed to explore via the Stewart Indian School Trail, a self-guided walking tour of the campus with twenty points of interest and audio stories (even with our flip phones). We didn't have time to do the entire trail but we will be back.



Karen and I are huge fans of snail mail. We loved this post office. They actually made a town of Stewart, Nevada for the school.





The beautiful buildings were crafted by Hopi stonemasons and the students they trained.
Over time, the memories of the school's beginnings faded and the Stewart Indian School became a desirable institution of learning for Native students. It closed in 1980 due to budget cuts and earthquake safety concerns. Soon, the hope is for it to be resurrected as a campus of cultural learning and celebrations. Actually, we plan to return for the Pow Wow in June. The history lessons continue.