The Archaeology of Native American Boarding Schools in the American Southwest

Abstract

This work discusses the archaeological investigation of Native American boarding schools in the American Southwest. It begins by outlining a brief history of the federal Native American boarding schools system in the region then introduces major theoretical frameworks utilized by historical archaeologists to interpret these sites. Lastly, it traces the history of archaeological approaches to these sites types in the Southwest, summarizing foundational and ongoing historical archaeological research on these institutions.

Esta obra presenta la investigación arqueología de los internados para Pueblos Nativos de los Estados Unidos en el sur oeste de los Estados Unidos. Esta obra resume una corta historia del sistema de internados federales en la región, luego presenta los principales marcos teoréticos para interpretar estos lugares. Por último, resume la historia de la investigación arqueología de aquellos sitios en el Sur Oeste de los Estados Unidos, específicamente las investigaciones fundacionales y continuas en la región sobre estas instituciones.

KEYWORDS:

• Historical archaeology
• Native American boarding schools
• identity
• feminist theory
• spatial analysis
• assimilation
• education

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Amy Thompson for working through the earliest drafts of this work, Katherine Brewer for her thoughtful comments on the Spanish version of the abstract, Hannah Weaver and Mychal Ludwig for editorial consultation; and Emily Dale the editor of this special issue.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

ORCID

Paulina F. Przystupa http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9457-1239

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Hibben Trust for Anthropology Graduate Students Fund endowed by the Frank C. Hibben Charitable Trust.