During the 19th and well into the 20th century, Native American children were forcibly abducted from their homes to attend boarding schools, where they were systematically humiliated, abused, and stripped of their language, cultural traditions, and family connections. Native children were taught to be ashamed of their identity and themselves, and the devastating impact of these experiences continues to affect tribal life today.

The Boarding School Healing Project is a national coalition of organizations working with Native communities. It seeks to document and raise consciousness about these abuses so that these communities can begin a process of healing, and demand accountability and justice. Current pilot programs are working with the Lakota nation in South Dakota, and with the Navajo nation in Arizona and New Mexico. Members of these tribal communities are being trained to gather documentation using participatory action research, which can include talking circles, interviews, and focus groups. The BSHP is mobilizing a variety of resources in this effort, including mental health professionals, support groups, and traditional healing circles.

A 2004-5 grant from the Martín-Baró Fund will help support the costs of travel connected with documentation and training, food and supplies for tribal support groups, creation of a crisis hotline for survivors, and planning for a Boarding School Day of Remembrance.