Learning Indigenous Truthtelling of Boarding Schools

Dr. Farina King’s talk explores how young researchers are uncovering the complex histories of Native American boarding schools, particularly in Oklahoma. Through community-centered research—including archival work, archaeology, oral histories, and digital mapping—students collaborate with Native Nations to recover and share Indigenous experiences. Dr. King, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, mentors students in respectful, tribally specific research that supports Indigenous truth-telling and healing. The session emphasizes listening, learning, and serving through research while highlighting the continued relevance of boarding school histories today. It offers a model for interdisciplinary, ethical engagement with Native communities and histories across academic and public spheres.