The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) is inviting Native American boarding school relatives who attended before 1970 to participate in the 19th stop of the NABS Oral History Project, scheduled for March 30–April 3, 2026, at the Soboba Casino Resort in San Jacinto, California.
The California visit marks an important opportunity for boarding school relatives to preserve their personal histories through professionally recorded video interviews. Participants’ stories will become part of a permanent collection at the Library of Congress, helping ensure their experiences are honored and remembered for generations to come.
The oral history effort is a key component of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, a historic undertaking aimed at documenting, acknowledging, and reckoning with the experiences of boarding school survivors.
“This moment is historic. As the 19th stop on our national tour and our only visit to California, we are honored to sit with elders and survivors in Southern California and create a safe space where their truths can be shared and honored,” said NABS Oral History Project Co-Director Lacey Kinnart (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians). “Every story shared by a boarding school survivor is an act of courage, and our role is to listen, care for them, and ensure these voices are preserved for now and future generations.”
Interview slots are limited, and early registration is strongly encouraged. Interviews will be conducted by appointment only.
California Event Details:
- Dates: Monday, March 30 – Friday, April 3, 2026
- Location: Soboba Casino Resort, 22777 Soboba Rd, San Jacinto, CA 92583
- Who Should Participate: Survivors that attended a federally supported Indian boarding school in the United States by 1970. Interviews by appointment only.
- Registration Information: Visit https://www.tfaforms.com/5092936 or call 651-650-4445
To learn more, please visit https://boardingschoolhealing.org/oral-history-project or contact the oral history project team at 651-650-4445 or OralHistoryProject@nabshc.org.
