Fort Peck tribes bring children home from boarding school
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The Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes in Montana recently repatriated the remains of Christine Redstone, Peter Howe, and Richard Morgan, who died while attending the Carlisle Indian Industrial School over 135 years ago.
The three children were among 43 Fort Peck students sent to the Pennsylvania school in 1890, an institution founded on the principle of suppressing Native culture. After decades, tribal members worked to bring the children back to their homeland for reburial.
Organizers emphasized the importance of community and family connections during the three-day homecoming, with processions, meals, and vigils held to honor the children. While Christine Redstone had living relatives who welcomed her remains, representatives of the tribe stood in for Peter Howe and Richard Morgan, overcoming a requirement from the Office of Army Cemeteries that had previously blocked repatriations for those without known family.
The return of the children sparked both joy and sadness, as tribal members remembered those who had fought for repatriation but did not live to see it. Leaders spoke of the lasting impact of the boarding school era on Native families and the need to strengthen bonds for future generations, and to learn from the resilience of those who survived.
Christine Redstone is buried with family in Oswego Catholic Cemetery, while Peter and Richard rest in the tribal repatriation cemetery in Poplar.
