๐ทโโ๏ธDigging Up Ghosts: Nebraska’s Graveyard Mystery at Former Native American School! ๐ป๐ต๏ธโโ๏ธ
TL;DR;
๐ Mystery surrounds the forgotten graveyard of a former Native American school in Nebraska, believed to hold the remains of dozens of Indigenous children.๐ถ๐ Archeologists now take up the task of cracking this grim riddle, searching for truths buried for a century. Their shovels break the soil, their hopes – to bring a forgotten past to light and perhaps, heal some old wounds. ๐๏ธ๐
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Does a field ever forget what lies beneath? ๐พ๐ญ That’s what our friends, the archeologists, are finding out in central Nebraska. They’ve started digging around an area that used to be a part of a sprawling campus a hundred years ago. Their quest? To find a lost cemetery from the old Genoa Indian Industrial School days. No, they’re not hunting for lost treasure, but they’re unearthing lost lives and, perhaps, lost stories.
We’re talking about a time when over 400 Native American boarding schools across the country were more into assimilating Indigenous kids into white culture than teaching ABCs and 123s.๐โ๐งโ๐ Genoa, located roughly 90 miles west of Omaha, was one of those places, home to almost 600 students from over 40 tribes. So why the sudden interest in a place that shut its doors back in 1931?
Well, ever wondered how many secrets a small town can hold? ๐๏ธ๐ The community of Genoa, along with researchers and state officials, have long been searching for this cemetery. They believe it’s the resting place of up to 80 students from the school. Yes, you read that right – 80 young souls whose final resting place was lost to time and neglect.
Taking the lead in this mission to uncover the past is Judi gaiashkibos, Executive Director of the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs. Her mother once attended the school, so for her, this isn’t just an expedition, it’s personal. ๐๐ซ๐ She acknowledges that being in Genoa, where so many Native Americans faced hardship, isn’t easy. But, she also believes that the search could be a crucial step towards healing and giving these lost children a voice.
So, while they’re digging and dusting, we’re left wondering. What will they find?๐ก Will this search bring closure or reopen old wounds?
In the end, aren’t we all just trying to understand the past to make sense of the present? How will unearthing this grave site change the way we understand the history and impact of Native American boarding schools? And even more pressing, how should we, as a society, make amends for the wrongs inflicted on those children?
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide any recommendations or endorse any actions. It merely presents a factual recounting of current events.