Genoa Indian boarding school is topic of Nov. 11 panel talk

The story and lasting impact of the Genoa U.S. Indian Industrial School in Genoa, Nebraska, is the topic of a panel hosted by the Center for Great Plains Studies and the University of Nebraska State Museum at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 11.

In this presentation, team members from the Genoa Indian School Digital Reconciliation Project and community members will share the lasting impact of the school, new research and deep insights into the personal stories of those who attended.

The Genoa School was one of more than 300 Indian boarding schools established by the government and churches in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By 1900, nearly 21,000 Indian children, or about 78% of all Indian children who attended school, were living apart from their families at one of these schools. In many cases, officials forced children to attend the schools against the wishes of their families and tribes. To assimilate Indian children and break their ties to their families, tribes and homelands, most teachers and administrators forbade students from speaking their native languages and required Christian conversion.

The panel will explore the history and speak to modern-day reconciliation efforts throughout North America. Panelists include:

• Judi gaiashkibos (Ponca), executive director, Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs
• Margaret Jacobs, project co-director
• Susana D. Grajales Geliga (Lakota and Taino), project co-director
• Elizabeth Lorang, project co-director
• Rudi Mitchell (Omaha Indian Nation of Nebraska and Iowa), professor emeritus of Native American studies, Creighton University

The event is free and open to all and will comply with all University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Lincoln-Lancaster County COVID-19 guidelines. For a link to the livestream and recording, click here. The event is part of the center’s Paul A. Olson Great Plains lecture series and the University of Nebraska State Museum’s Claire M. Hubbard First Peoples of the Plains annual lecture.

The talk will occur at the Center for Great Plains Studies, 1155 Q St. The north Que Place parking garage stairwell sidewalk is closed at Q Street due to construction, and visitors should approach the building from the north, east or south.