In a message dated 7/28/04 10:35:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time, gagenlady@charter.net writes: > I would be interested in the time period that the school(s) for native > american children existed and how you came to understand they were open. I can't speak for Ann, but as formyself: My grandmother told me by the time I was 9 who and what we were. I've done genealogy since then--or had already started--loooooong story. I found the fmaily I was told "didn't exist" Brwon, raised, always, as Indian. I had learned enuf, by then, to be of help and assistance, to my own tribes--and to Indian Country nationwide. I'm an activist, ethnohistorian, a voice, I'm told, for those who cannot fight for themselves. I get involved in curriculum, history, do consulting with tribes, have worked for a few trying to put their tribes back together again. I 've done depositions for those battling the Indian Child Welfare Act. Often work with College level, native studies programs---folks doing theses, etc on varying topics concerning Indians, their history, problems, whatever. Indian schools are a huge blot on society-- anyone's. They kept records of who was there, who was not--many survived----it helps, ultimately--for one's personal genenalogy, or in putting together what happened to families, tribes. My personal library covers one wall. My paper, article, theses, ref file--take up 17 file drawers. and, I will never know enuf, fast enuf. or live long enuf. Sheila/Firehair (and for the personal post asking---no offense---it's fine to ask---I was named traditionally, by a name giver, 20 years ago, am a legal aka as I am equally known by either name--have to sign anything like documents, etc---in both names)