Dayton Metro Library will hold a series of events to celebrate Native American Heritage Month in November.
The library’s programming started Sept. 30 with Orange Shirt Day.
Orange Shirt Day, or the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, was established to recognize the Indigenous children sent to residential boarding schools who didn’t return or who survived the ordeal.
The origin of the name honors Phyllis Webstad, whose grandmother bought her an orange shirt for her first day of school at a Canadian residential school, but it was confiscated upon her arrival.
These schools stripped children of their Indigenous culture.
The library recognized the day with a storytime on children’s experiences in boarding schools. It also hosted a film screening and discussion to raise awareness on Indigenous history.
Autumn Lee, a local Indigenous community leader from the Cayuga nation, is helping the library craft this season’s programming.
Lee said many people aren’t aware these types of schools existed, but those who survived them have to live with this history every day.
“There was a lot of trauma, and (survivors) found different ways to try to deal with that. And unfortunately, when they become parents, a lot of them struggled and still struggle, because they didn't get to spend time with their families and grow up the way that most children do,” Lee said.
Oran Baumeister was 6 when he was taken from his family on the Standing Rock Reservation and sent to a boarding school. Lee invited him to speak at the Dayton library event.
He recalled his first interactions with a priest who worked at the school.
“He's walking down the line there, telling us why we shouldn't speak our language because it was the devil's language and we weren't going to get anywhere with it,” Baumeister said.
Now at 59, Baumeister said he still has trouble speaking his Lakota language due to his traumatic experiences in the school.
“Their favorite line was, ‘You'll never get to heaven.’ I remember I took a brutal beating from one of the priests when I asked him, ‘Why won't I get to heaven?’” Baumeister said. “He told me: ‘Because you were born an Indian. Best you can hope for is purgatory.’ And I looked at him and asked: ‘Then why the hell am I here trying? Why do I got to be here if the best I can hope for is purgatory?’”
Estimates on the total number of children forced to attend these schools in the U.S. aren’t available. But a recent report finds that by 1926, 68,000 school-age children were in boarding schools. That was 80% of American Indian children at the time.
Upcoming Native American heritage and culture programming at Dayton Metro Library branches:
- Oct. 11, Burkhardt branch - Indigenous Peoples' Day Fireside Chat with Autumn Lee
- Nov. 6, Miami Township branch - Wednesday Matinee: Barking Water
- Nov. 6, Northwest branch - Coloring for Adults: Indigenous Designs
- Nov. 7, Miami Township branch - ASL Storytime: Native American Heritage Month edition
- Nov. 21, Trotwood branch - Rose B. Simpson Inspired Art
- Nov. 23, West branch - Game On: BINGO
- Nov. 27, Vandalia branch - Make a Dream Catcher
