Shawnee Indian Mission State Historic Site — Attraction in Fairway

Shawnee Indian Mission Manual Labor School House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States HISTORIC HEARING IN WASHINGTON D.C.

“The stories of human suffering at these institutions can no longer be hidden…”

On May 12, Chief Barnes testified before the House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States in support of H.R. 5444, “The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the U.S. Act.”

This legislation would establish a federal commission to locate and make available the records from Indian boarding schools that operated in the U.S. Native American children were treated harshly at these schools which sought to “civilize” Native Americans by eliminating their culture and heritage. The Shawnee Indian Manual Labor Boarding School in Fairway, Kansas was one of over 400 such schools.

Testimony was also provided by survivors who personally experienced boarding schools and leaders of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition in support of a national strategy to increase public awareness and cultivate healing for the profound trauma experienced by Native American individuals, families, and communities.

“It really sank in today that I’m the only federally recognized tribal leader that’s gonna be speaking today,” said Chief Barnes on his way to the hearing. “My daughter reminded me that there’s other tribes that need this story told—that need their truth told. That’s really the importance of this bill. It’s just the starting point.”

“182 years they’ve not let us talk about it,” he continued. “I’m tired of being told what not to talk about.”

Shawnee Tribe urges citizens and others to support this bill to establish a Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Schools in the U.S. Find your Representative, State Senators, as well as...

Nov 21, 2017 Edit: Through conversation with the staff, I've learned that there is some balanced attention given to union soldiers as well as confederates. However, most of my original points below still stand. The place does not give much respect to the kids the school was built for, in comparison against the information about the civil war.

The place doesn't have alot of open information about the children that lived here, or their families and culture. It heavily glorifies the pro slavery Johnson and the Confederates who bunked there. Instead of recreating the rooms were the children slept, played, were taught, ate, and possibly kept in touch with their families (no evidence is shown either way) the museum features a room devoted to the Confederates who stayed there.

The reasons as to the schools disbanding are kept vague, emphasis is put instead on how much of a loss it was for Johnson. No mention is made about what this meant for the children, where they went, or what happened to them.

I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone with a sincere interest in history. It favors a side steeped in racism, insidious hate, and pro slavery. And it ignores the children who most likely had to face a tough life being forced from their culture and made to...

I visited this beautiful historic site today, with my husband. Shawnee Indian Mission, was well kept, the volunteers, and the woman who worked there, were very informative. So, before I started typing this review, I read some of the other reviews. Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion, that you really cannot write a review of a history museum, if you do not know your history. The person who reviewed this museum, claimed the museum had confederate war items....the museum had nothing like that. I read every form of information that was on display here. I was shocked to even had read that review. Johnson, was Union. The whole town was Union, the museum had Union Attire. They had nothing confederate in the museum. Maybe, the person who reviewed this meseum, did not even visit the museum? Maybe, they don’t know history? The museum was far from what the reviewer posted. We go to museums’ to educate ourselves, and to learn from the past. We all should support our history. I am glad they had Native American, items here and had beautiful displays of their culture. The museum was mostly veered towards the life of Native Americans, when they stayed there. It was...