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In Our Own Words
- Author
- Benay McNamara
- Narrator
- Benay McNamara
- Publisher
- Hachette Audio
- Publish Date
- 8 September 2026
- Run Time
- 6 hours 53 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Children’s / Teenage general interest: Places and peoples, Children’s / Teenage general interest: History and the past, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Prejudice and intolerance, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Racism, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Information resources
What to expect
Learn the true stories of Indian boarding school students and their families in this important historical book for young readers.
This in-depth history examines letters to and from boarding schools, all compiled and edited by Dr. Brenda J. Child. Firsthand accounts reveal how profoundly entire families were affected by the dark period in US history when Native children were taken from their families to attend schools far from home.
With a special focus on the Haskell Institute in Kansas, the Flandreau School in South Dakota, and the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, this invaluable work offers an unfiltered look at letters written by parents, children, and school officials—all of which convey the impacts of the boarding school era, from illnesses to poor living conditions, homesickness, and the suppression of Native languages.
In Our Own Words serves as a powerful testament to the resistance of young Indigenous people and shines a spotlight on disastrous assimilation policies spanning 1870 to 1940.
Critics Review
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"In Our Own Words is a long overdue conversation across generations, from future ancestors to today's kids. It pulls back the veils of time and distortion to reveal the U.S. federal Indian boarding schools and their impact on young Native people. Both an achingly necessary, thoughtfully assembled book and an important step toward genuine healing."—Cynthia Leitich Smith, enrolled Mvskoke citizen and editor of the Printz Award anthology Legendary Frybread Drive-In
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"Gently and thoughtfully lays out the origin, complexities, horrors, and evolution of the boarding school system, all while celebrating the lives and incredible courage of the children themselves … This book is excellent."—Deidre Havrelock, Orbis Pictus Honor-winning author of Indigenous Ingenuity
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Details
- Author
- Benay McNamara
- Narrator
- Benay McNamara
- Duration
- 6 hours 53 minutes
- Release Date
- 8 September 2026
- ISBN
- 9781668659205
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Hachette Audio
- Genre
- Children’s / Teenage general interest: Places and peoples, Children’s / Teenage general interest: History and the past, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Prejudice and intolerance, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Racism, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Information resources
Synopsis
Learn the true stories of Indian boarding school students and their families in this important historical book for young readers. This in-depth history examines letters to and from boarding schools, all compiled and edited by Dr. Brenda J. Child. Firsthand accounts reveal how profoundly entire families were affected by the dark period in US history when Native children were taken from their families to attend schools far from home. With a special focus on the Haskell Institute in Kansas, the Flandreau School in South Dakota, and the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, this invaluable work offers an unfiltered look at letters written by parents, children, and school officials—all of which convey the impacts of the boarding school era, from illnesses to poor living conditions, homesickness, and the suppression of Native languages. In Our Own Words serves as a powerful testament to the resistance of young Indigenous people and shines a spotlight on disastrous assimilation policies spanning 1870 to 1940.
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