Boarding school students in Colorado experienced torture, sexual abuse, threats and more, yearlong investigation finds

An investigation by researchers found that Native American children in several Colorado boarding schools were subject to extreme physical, sexual and psychological abuse from 1880 through 1920.

The investigation was part of a research program led by History Colorado, started and funded by a state law passed last year.

The investigation focused on two schools in particular; the Fort Lewis Indian Boarding School in Hesperus and Teller Institute in Grand Junction. It found, among other things, that students were forced to sleep in coal mines without blankets in the winter, were threatened with wild animals or jail time for minor indiscretions and that women and girls were victims of sexual abuse.

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History Colorado says the report that culminated from the investigation is vital for the healing of the descendants of these victims.

"It is History Colorado's intention that providing these resources will assist in thoughtful discourse and reporting on this challenging subject in such a way that it reduces the harm and retraumatization of the Indigenous communities connected to this painful history," said Dawn DiPrince, president, CEO and state historic preservation officer of History Colorado.

In total, researchers think there were around 1,600 students between the two schools in their history.

To read the full report, visit HistoryColorado.org.