'Understand the fight': Events honor survivors, families of Native boarding schools

Across the country Wednesday, Native communities, organizations and supporters will gather and hold vigils to honor those impacted by Native American boarding schools. The day of remembrance, held annually on Sept. 30, recognizes the history of Native American boarding schools, which were established to assimilate Native children into Western culture.

In October 2024, former President Joe Biden formally apologized to Native Americans for the federal boarding school policy — noting lost generations, culture, language and trust.

The day of remembrance started in Canada with a story recalled by an elder whose favorite orange shirt was taken from her as a child on her first day at a Catholic residential school. The day is also known as Orange Shirt Day.

Indigenous community members in Canada and the United States wear the color to honor those affected by residential schools and as a sign of resiliency.

“It now serves as a demonstration of pride, a demonstration that we can reclaim which was taken from us,” said Samuel Torres, who is Mexica-Nahua and serves as the deputy chief executive officer with the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. The Minneapolis-based organization works to address the impacts of boarding school trauma through healing, advocacy and research.

“We honor and recognize the reclamation of those things that were taken from us as Indigenous people, not the least of which was language, land and culture,” Torres said.

According to the Minnesota Historical Society, boarding schools operated from the mid-1800s and continued into the 1970s.

People will gather across Minnesota to honor survivors and families, including a film screening and panel discussion at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis.

Minnesota PBS documentary filmmaker and producer Leya Hale says her grandparents attended residential school. Hale has mixed Dakota and Diné heritage.

"They would share their experiences, but they weren't often negative stories that I would hear. I would hear them talk about the intertribal relationships that they formed during this time," Hale said.

Those conversations with her grandparents helped shape her short film, “Medicine Ball.” The film follows two Native basketball players at the University of Minnesota Morris — the site of a former residential school.

The Morris Industrial School for Indians was one of 526 schools across the United States, according to the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, with nearly two dozen in Minnesota.

Hale says basketball was introduced as a way to assimilate boarding school students, but instead they found strength and culture. She wanted to uplift survivors and families by highlighting a residential school story of hope.

"Oftentimes we never hear these resiliency stories that can help us understand the fight that our ancestors had to go through to maintain culture and language," she said.

The two Native basketball players in the film learn about this history, resilience and cultural pride through their own journeys.

"I know sometimes there's people that get tired of hearing that word 'resiliency,' but I think it's necessary to always reiterate and focus on that concept of making sure that you have the strength and finding that strength," Hale said.

Both Hale and Torres hope recognizing the history of residential schools brings healing to survivors and families.

Wednesday afternoon's screening of "Medicine Ball" is full. However, the public is invited to attend a candlelight vigil and remembrance walk at Powderhorn Park starting at 5:30 p.m.

Other gatherings take place throughout the day.

Sept. 30 Gatherings

Orange Shirt Day, Morris

• All day

• The University of Minnesota Morris encourages students and faculty to wear orange on Wednesday to honor survivors of residential boarding schools and to remember those who did not return home.

Orange Shirt Day Display at CSU Fountain, Mankato

• 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• The American Indian Affairs office and Native American Student Association will gather to wear orange at the Centennial Student Union building’s fountain. A visual display will be on view throughout the day.

Orange Shirt Day Prayer Wall, Minneapolis

• 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

• All Nations Indian Church will hold a space to remember and honor families and survivors affected by residential boarding schools. Visitors can pick up a button and participate in a community prayer wall. Later in the evening, All Nations Indian Church will hold a 6:30 p.m. public showing of film documentary, “Sugarcane.” Registration for the screening is required.

2026 Day of Remembrance, Minneapolis

• 5:30 to 8 p.m.

• The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition invites the public to gather at Powderhorn Park for a community candlelight vigil and remembrance walk.

Orange Shirt Day Run/Walk, Minneapolis

• Begins at 5 p.m.

• Niniijaanis One of Ones will hold a 5k run and walk in recognition of National Day of Remembrance. The gathering will begin at The Loppet Trailhead. Advanced registration at Event Brite is required.

Orange Shirt Day Remembrance Walk, Plymouth

• 5 to 7 p.m.

• Robbinsdale Area Schools American Indian Education invites students, faculty, staff and community members to gather at West Medicine Lake Park for a remembrance walk in honor of National Day of Remembrance.

Every Child Matters Honor and Awareness Walk, Bemidji

• 5 to 7 p.m.

• Bemidji-based organization MMIW 218 will hold an awareness walk beginning at Sanford Center Parking Lot. Attendees are encouraged to wear orange.

Chandra Colvin covers Native American communities in Minnesota for MPR News via Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities.

• Minneapolis-based running group remembers Native boarding schools
• Two Ojibwe tribes say 45-year timeline for Minntac pollution is too long 
• Upper Sioux Community wins solar array fight, utility says it will likely appeal