As part of truth-telling around boarding school history, access to boarding school records is paramount. The National Indian Boarding School Digital Archive (NIBSDA) was conceptualized early on to serve as a national digital platform and digital repository for boarding school archival collections throughout the United States. Making boarding school records more accessible to boarding school survivors and their descendants in a digital archive is essential to understanding this history and its consequences on Tribal Nations. Through cultivating historical insights, NIBSDA supports community-led healing initiatives throughout American Indian and Alaska Native Nations and towards restored Indigenous cultural sovereignty.
PROJECT OVERVIEW includes information on key project players, partners, and sponsors. Learn more about NIBSDA by watching the introductory video.
PURPOSE, VALUES, & OBJECTIVES includes a descriptive overview of the purpose of NIBSDA as well as its values and objectives.
COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT POLICY includes guiding principles of practices NIBSDA implements in workflows and accountability measures regarding records of the U.S. Indian Boarding School era.
ADD YOUR COLLECTIONS includes additional information for prospective collection contributions by source repositories.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS includes information regarding platform policies and procedures. In addition, information regarding services are included.
CONTACT -- Please contact us for any feedback, insights, questions, or site recommendations. Your voice is valuable to us.
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) was formed in 2012 after leaders from across the United States and Canada came together at a national symposium to discuss the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the need to institute a similar process here in the United States. NABS seeks “to lead in the pursuit of understanding and addressing the ongoing trauma created by the US Indian Boarding School policy.” Understanding and addressing ongoing trauma in Native communities is essential to continued healing. To continue to push forward in this holistic endeavor, NABS maintains a myriad of programs focused on education, advocacy, and healing designed to further the organization mission.
The National Indian Boarding School Digital Archive (NIBSDA) is a component program to the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS). NIBSDA only features records which are subject to the Collection Scope.