Addressing a Difficult History

Many Alaska Native families continue to face the impact of colonial residential schools, which once sought to disrupt Indigenous traditions, languages, and cultures. Nearly 30 Alaska Native children who died at residential schools in and out of Alaska are being repatriated to their homelands nearly a century after their deaths, as recently reported by the Anchorage Daily News.

Genealogy as a Tool for Understanding

Hana’ackm Ggoadm ‘Tsoal Naomi Leask, an educator based in Juneau, is using genealogy research to help young people and elders alike confront this history. Inspired by her grandmother’s deep knowledge of her family tree, Leask began to explore records related to residential schools—particularly the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, an infamous institution funded by the United States with the intention of assimilating Indigenous children, often employing abusive methods.

Uncovering the Stories

Leask’s genealogical research became personal when she discovered that the connection between her hometown of Metlakatla—Alaska’s only Native reservation—and the Carlisle school was much deeper than previously thought. "I knew that maybe one or two people from my hometown went to Carlisle, but when I dug in and got inside of it, we found a total of like 27 or 28 people from my hometown who went over to Pennsylvania," she said.

Empowering Through Education

As a teacher in Metlakatla, Leask began introducing students to genealogy tools, including online databases such as the National Indian Boarding School Digital Archive. "My students would kind of get in there and sometimes type their last name. ... I’m pretty sure this is my grandma, or I’m pretty sure this is my great uncle," she recalled. Leask believes teaching the history of indigenous boarding schools is a way to foster empathy and an understanding of generational trauma among young people.

Encouraging Healing and Conversation

Leask recognizes that discussing boarding school experiences can be difficult, especially for survivors and their families. "My grandpa did not want to talk about it. He rarely ever did talk about it, and if you did, like he kind of just looked like he wasn’t in his body anymore," she explained. She advises sensitivity when approaching elders about their experiences, viewing these conversations as a crucial step in the healing process.

A Path Toward Cultural Healing

Leask is taking her work further by starting a support group for boarding school survivors in Juneau. She hopes it will serve as a "culture camp" for elders, offering opportunities to reclaim arts and skills that were once forbidden at residential schools. Reflecting on the broader impact, Leask said, "I think colonialism was kind of just like—a puzzle, you know—just took people and just kind of just scattered them all over the place. And this could be just one part of the puzzle, putting ourselves back together and healing and trying to move forward and become whole."

Source: ktoo.org.