Author: Peggy Flanagan

Peggy Flanagan is Minnesota’s 50th lieutenant governor, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, and currently the country’s highest ranking Native woman elected to executive office. At the center of all her work is making progress for children, working families, communities of color and Indigenous communities, and Minnesotans who have historically been underserved and underrepresented.

Indigenous Peoples Day: Celebrating Heritage, Confronting History

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This Indigenous Peoples Day, as we honor the rich tapestry of Native culture and celebrate the diversity and enduring spirit of Native communities, let us also acknowledge the legacy of Native American boarding schools and remember the Native children who were taken from us far too soon.

At least 523 institutions were part of the Native American boarding school system—408 of which received federal funding. These schools were in at least 35 states, yet most Americans know nothing about this history.