On October 30, 2025, members of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Indigenous Health Unit (IHU) and colleagues from across the institution traveled to the historic grounds of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Established in 1879 as the first government-run boarding school for Native American children, Carlisle became the model for more than 400 similar institutions across the United States and Canada. Its stated mission— “to kill the Indian, save the man”—sought to erase Indigenous identity through forced assimilation, language suppression, and separation from family and community.
Dr. Amanda Cheromiah and Kate Theimer from Dickinson College’s Center for the Futures of Native Peoples and the Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center led the visit and provided a deeply moving historical and educational experience. The visit included a tour of the grounds and cemetery, a review of archival materials, and engaging dialogue on the intergenerational impacts of the boarding school era and how this painful legacy continues to affect the health and well-being of Indigenous communities today.
Attendees included Louis Bell, John Chuo Keri Cohn, Elizabeth Lowenthal, Hannah Novy-Russel, Elizabeth Sanseau, Andrew Steenhoff, Chermiqua Tsosie (Diné), Sherry Tsosie (Diné), and Alex Vinograd.
This experience was revealing, humbling and transformative. It underscored the deep connections between historical trauma and present-day health inequities, as well as the vital importance of cultural humility, truth-telling, and relationship-building in healthcare. Participants left with a renewed commitment to advancing health equity through awareness, education, and partnership. The CHOP Indigenous Health Unit is dedicated to supporting American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian patients, families, and communities—locally and nationally—through sustained advocacy, collaborative learning, and respect for the resilience and strength of Indigenous peoples.
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On October 30, 2025, members of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Indigenous Health Unit (IHU) and colleagues from across the institution traveled to the historic grounds of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Established in 1879 as the first government-run boarding school for Native American children, Carlisle became the model for more than 400 similar institutions across the United States and Canada. Its stated mission— “to kill the Indian, save the man”—sought to erase Indigenous identity through forced assimilation, language suppression, and separation from family and community.
Dr. Amanda Cheromiah and Kate Theimer from Dickinson College’s Center for the Futures of Native Peoples and the Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center led the visit and provided a deeply moving historical and educational experience. The visit included a tour of the grounds and cemetery, a review of archival materials, and engaging dialogue on the intergenerational impacts of the boarding school era and how this painful legacy continues to affect the health and well-being of Indigenous communities today.
Attendees included Louis Bell, John Chuo Keri Cohn, Elizabeth Lowenthal, Hannah Novy-Russel, Elizabeth Sanseau, Andrew Steenhoff, Chermiqua Tsosie (Diné), Sherry Tsosie (Diné), and Alex Vinograd.
This experience was revealing, humbling and transformative. It underscored the deep connections between historical trauma and present-day health inequities, as well as the vital importance of cultural humility, truth-telling, and relationship-building in healthcare. Participants left with a renewed commitment to advancing health equity through awareness, education, and partnership. The CHOP Indigenous Health Unit is dedicated to supporting American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian patients, families, and communities—locally and nationally—through sustained advocacy, collaborative learning, and respect for the resilience and strength of Indigenous peoples.
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