Tribe asks to take over former boarding school in Kansas

FAIRWAY, Kansas (AP) — The Shawnee Tribe is asking for the transfer of ownership of a historic site in Kansas that may contain unmarked graves of Indian students.

Earlier this month, the tribe released an architectural review that showed three buildings left at the Shawnee Indian Mission in Fairway, Kansas, are in need of millions of dollars worth of repairs, reports The Kansas City Star.

The site, formerly known as the Shawnee Indian Handicraft School, was one of hundreds of schools operated by government and religious groups in the 1800s and 1900s that took Indigenous children from their families to assimilate them into white society and Christianity. .

It is owned by the Kansas Historical Society. The City of Fairway manages day-to-day operations.

In October, government officials announced they planned to conduct a ground survey to look for unmarked graves on the 12-acre (4.86 ha) site. The process stalled after the Shawnee tribe claimed it was not consulted enough and raised questions about the proposed study.

Tribal leaders claim that state and Fairway officials did not properly maintain the site.

An Oklahoma tribe commissioned the study from Architectural Resources Group last year because leaders are “concerned about the future of this historic site,” Chief Ben Barnes said in a statement Tuesday.

“Over the past year, we have had many conversations with the city and state about the need to preserve this special place,” Barnes said. “When it became clear that there was no plan, we began talking about the possibility that the Shawnee tribe would take responsibility for restoring and repairing this site.”

Officials from the Kansas Historical Society and the City of Farway declined to give the site to the tribe.

Patrick Zollner, acting executive director of the Historical Society, said the organization has already made several improvements, is planning more restoration work, and remains committed to telling the site’s story.

In a statement released Jan. 3, Fairway officials questioned whether the tribe had the resources to pay for the necessary repairs. They also questioned what the tribe would do with the land and said the city and state might not have any power over how the land would be used.

Tribal leaders estimate that repairs will cost $13 million. The tribe has said that if it obtains ownership, it will renovate the buildings in stages while respecting historic preservation requirements.

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