REMEMBERING THE CHILDREN 

The government took our children – to force them to forget who they were

This memorial is for them – so they know we never forgot who they are

This memorial is for us – so we never forget what they did

 

* * * Remembering the Children * * *​

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The work of the Remembering the Children Memorial is rooted in the concept of wicouncage (ancestry, lineage, and generational responsibility), where we recognize our connection to both the past and the future. We stand between our ancestors, who came before us, and our descendants, who will follow, making decisions that honor those who paved the way and benefit those who will come after. In this way, we are always accountable to each other, to the children yet to be born, and to our ancestors. 

 

History

 

The project began as an individual research initiative and gradually evolved into a community-led effort. As more information emerged, volunteers engaged the community to gather input on the next steps. The outreach sessions expanded to include regional Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, who visited the site to review research alongside team leaders and volunteers. Their feedback emphasized the need to protect the land, ensuring the safety of the children’s graves and unmarked burial sites while also preserving and sharing the legacy of both the children and the federal boarding school system.

 

In late 2021, the group secured a $2.1 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to fund the Memorial’s initial construction. These funds not only allowed construction to commence on the Memorial but also provided the initial resources to establish a nonprofit organization to support the site’s ongoing maintenance and operations once the construction is complete. 

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The project addresses multiple interconnected needs: the lack of public knowledge about the federal Indian boarding school system; the continued marginalization of Indigenous histories and voices; unresolved grief and trauma within Indigenous communities; and deep social divisions in Rapid City rooted in historic and ongoing land dispossession. These needs demand a response that is not only tangible but also active, inclusive, and ongoing.

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Through the creation of a physical site that centers Indigenous leadership, art, oral history, and ceremony, the Memorial becomes part of the process of broader community healing. It reconnects land, memory, and education through a shared space that fosters reflection, learning, and dialogue, offering the most comprehensive and culturally appropriate way to meet these multigenerational needs. 

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