The Oklahoma Catholic Native Schools Project

Mission Statement: The purpose of the Oklahoma Catholic Native Schools Project is to better understand the history and experiences of Native students in Oklahoma Catholic boarding schools from 1880 to 1965. The project is a joint effort by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, the Diocese of Tulsa and Saint Gregory's Abbey. 

Research into Native American boarding schools continues to shed light on how those schools operated across the country.

Amid information released this week by the U.S. government, which in 2021 initiated an investigation into the government’s role into more than 400 boarding schools spanning more than 100 years of operation, disturbing findings have been revealed.

Here in Oklahoma, the Church has been committed to conducting unbiased studies of the operations of the 14 boarding schools run by the Catholic Church during years ranging from 1880 to 1965.

In response to the U.S. government study, the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, the Diocese of Tulsa and St. Gregory’s Abbey together launched a project – The Oklahoma Catholic Native Schools Project – to better understand the history of Native students in Oklahoma Catholic boarding schools from 1880 to 1965.

The dioceses worked with Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the archives for the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions are held. Marquette professor Bryan Rindfleisch, who specializes in American Indian history and studies, conducted research which he compiled in a book that will be released next month.

In the book, Rindfleisch recounts conversations with Native families that reveal both trauma and abuse, and positive reflections from their time in Catholic boarding schools.

Oral histories and research continue to be gathered locally by independent history contractors, with the hope of gaining a broad understanding of what took place.

“We have been committed to discovering and telling the truth about this chapter of Oklahoma history and the Church’s involvement in it,” Archbishop Coakley said. “We must acknowledge the sufferings and disruptions entailed by students, families and tribes.”

In a letter to U.S. representatives Tom Cole of Oklahoma and Sharice Davids of Kansas, USCCB bishops this week wrote:

“In the USCCB’s Pastoral Framework, Keeping Christ’s Sacred Promise: A Pastoral Framework for Indigenous Ministry, the bishops recognized that Native boarding schools are a significant source of trauma in the history of Indigenous peoples, especially because of their profound effect on the family. Further, the bishops acknowledged that the Church played a part in trauma experienced by Native children, and wrote, “Healing and reconciliation can only take place when the Church acknowledges the wounds perpetrated on her Indigenous children and humbly listens as they voice their experiences.” Whenever a child suffers abuse or neglect, that is a grave evil, and we must name the evil for what it is and stand against it.

“We are committed to concrete actions to restore trust and cultivate healing and the reconciliation that the Church desires. In 2021, following U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland’s announcement of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, the chairmen of two USCCB Committees wrote to all their brother bishops in the United States to encourage transparency in bringing forward this history and to engage in meaningful dialogue with affected communities.

“Those efforts are an ongoing priority for the Church, and will continue as we seek to walk with impacted communities in a path towards healing.”

For the Church in Oklahoma, the mission is the same, reflected in a statement made by Bishop David A. Konderla of Tulsa when the Oklahoma Catholic Native Schools Project began:

“It is by understanding the past that we are able to improve and build on good ideas in the present and, where necessary, make amends for failures in the past.”

Catholic dioceses launch Oklahoma Catholic Native Schools Project

Project will study the history, experiences of Catholic Indian boarding schools in Oklahoma
          
 The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, the Diocese of Tulsa and St. Gregory’s Abbey launched a new project to better understand the history and experiences of Native students in Oklahoma Catholic boarding schools from 1880 to 1965. 

 The Oklahoma Catholic Native Schools Project seeks to understand the history of Catholic Indian boarding schools in Oklahoma by gathering oral histories from former students and their descendants, studying documentation on Catholic Indian boarding schools from parishes, religious orders, tribes, the U.S. Department of the Interior and other reputable sources. 

 The information collected through documents and oral histories will be compiled into a report.

 “It is important we learn and understand the experiences of American Indian children and their families at Catholic boarding schools in Oklahoma so we can make better and more informed decisions moving forward,” Archbishop Coakley said. “We will continue to build a culture of inclusion, healing and understanding related to Native Americans in our state.”

 The dioceses are working with Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisc., which holds the archives for the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions, with specific collaboration with Marquette professor Bryan Rindfleisch, who specializes in American Indian history and studies. Oral histories and research will be coordinated locally by independent oral history contractors.

 “It is by understanding the past that we are able to improve and build on good ideas in the present and, where necessary, make amends for failures in the past,” said Bishop David A. Konderla, Bishop of Tulsa.

 Fourteen Catholic Indian boarding schools existed in Oklahoma between 1880 and 1965. The first one opened in Konawa in 1880 and closed in 1926. The last Catholic Indian boarding school, Saint Patrick’s in Anadarko, closed in 1965. They were all overseen by various religious orders.

 To learn more about the project, go online to archokc.org/oknativeschoolsproject. To contribute documents and/or photographs to the project or to share an experience from a Catholic Indian boarding school in Oklahoma, e-mail [email protected].

The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, the Diocese of Tulsa and St. Gregory’s Abbey invite the community to learn about the Oklahoma Catholic Native Schools Project, which seeks to bring healing and to understand the history and experiences of Native American students in Oklahoma Catholic boarding schools. 

As part of the Oklahoma Catholic Native Schools Project, an independent oral history interviewer will be conducting interviews with Native American students (or their descendants) who attended an Oklahoma Catholic boarding school anytime between the years 1880 - 1965. The interviews are by appointment only to ensure privacy. 

Please RSVP for an oral history interview at (405) 721-1810 or [email protected].