UPDATE – Oct. 23, 2025. 4:35 p.m. – Headline changed to correct spelling error from “Children of Charlisle” to “Children of Carlisle”.

On Oct. 4, Whitman College and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) organized the third annual Day of Remembrance, an event designed to honor the history of Indigenous boarding schools and their enduring impacts in the United States. 

An additional screening and discussion, held on campus on Sept. 30, featured a showing of “Home From School: The Children of Carlisle”, which documents the Wind River Reservation’s journey to bring home the remains of children who died at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. The film was followed by a panel discussion including tribal leader and educator Lindsey X. Watchman. 

Jeanine Gordon, who organized the event and serves as Whitman’s Native Outreach Coordinator, explained the event’s origins. 

“The inspiration for Whitman to host an annual event for the National Day of Remembrance for United States Indian boarding schools comes from the work that we’re doing in support of the Memorandum of Agreement between the college and the CTUIR,” Gordon said. “We chose ‘Home From School: The Children of Carlisle’ because it returns to the first U.S. boarding school and sets a good foundational context.” 

Gordon also emphasized the memorandum agreement as a key initiative in recognizing tribal histories.

“We can bring conversations around historical events that have impacted tribal people and the ways in which we are bringing those conversations to light, so that healing can happen in many ways, like in classrooms, through annual events on campus and through initiatives beyond Whitman,” Gordon said.  

Her hope for students and community members is clear.

“People became aware of the history and the facts of history that a lot of people aren’t aware of yet, like how that has impacted tribal families and tribal nations, while keeping up to date on current work and initiatives around boarding schools,” Gordon said.

She also noted the personal importance of the event.

“For me personally, holding events like this to raise awareness and education is an opportunity to tell the story about our history and to share in both the trauma of the event, but also the strength and the resilience that has carried us through to today,” Gordon said. 

Gordon also hopes that events like this will leave a lasting legacy on campus.

“We have this even as an annual event and several others that are becoming annual events, and so they spread throughout the whole academic school year,” Gordon said. “Students will be able to learn about various initiatives, events, ceremonies, and celebrations with the local tribes.” 

Second year student Calliope Willis, who serves as the secretary of the Indigenous Peoples’ Education and Culture Club (IPECC), emphasized the importance of education on Indigenous history. 

 “The club feels very strongly about the education of others on the matter of Indigenous history. We hope [the screening and discussion] will encourage students to conduct their own research on past events and ongoing issues.”

Lindsey X. Watchman, a Persian Gulf veteran, language apprentice and former chairman of the CTUIR General Council, underscored the personal dimension.

“The goal is the bring our ancestors home – so they can be laid to rest with drum and song,” Watchman said. “Records are still being surfaced; we don’t know yet how many of our family members never made it back.” 

He likened the research process to solving an unresolved case.

“It’s like a cold case. Once you find them and bring them home, everyone can finally move on,” Watchman said. 

Watchman also reflected on resilience.

“When the families in the film say things like, ‘we’re singing in our language, that’s sovereignty, that’s local control,’” Watchman said, “the silver lining is that we’re still here, and we’ll never forget.”

He also noted the role of Native leadership in national progress.

“We’ve seen an increase in Native representation and awareness in recent years, especially with Secretary Deb Haaland’s work as Secretary of the Interior,” Watchman said. “Never before was there enough money in Indian Country to do something like this, and now tribes have resources to do the research and repatriation.” 

He pointed to Whitman’s own growth.

“We have a president who is willing to sign and enforce an [Memorandum of Understanding], which also includes developing a Native American program and giving it a budget so things like this can happen,” Watchman said. “All of those things didn’t exist five years ago.” 

Finally, Watchman tied Whitman’s First Food’s event in Cleveland Commons back to cultural continuity.

“Those foods keep us strong, they’re part of our creation story and it’s beyond subsistence,” Watchman said. 

Together, Gordon and Watchman framed the Day of Remembrance not only as a space to acknowledge past harms, but also as a step toward cultural renewal.

“It’s important to talk about it, and then figure out how to treat it and heal it,” Gordon said.

 “The silver lining is that we’re still here, and we will never forget,” Watchman said.

As research and historical documents reveal past conditions, events like the Day of Remembrance offer students, staff and faculty an opportunity to learn and contribute to new records of tribal history.