Stewart Indian School receives $20,000 grant for oral history program

CARSON CITY — The Nevada 150 Foundation recently awarded the Nevada Indian Commission a $20,000 grant as part of the yearlong celebration’s legacy project. The grant will be used to preserve oral history surrounding the Stewart Indian School.

“We are thankful to the Nevada 150 Foundation for their support of this legacy project,” said Sherry Rupert, State of Nevada Indian Commission executive director and Nevada 150 Commissioner. “We are keenly aware that our Stewart alumni are aging and we want to be sure that we are able to capture their memories and experiences from the Stewart Indian School. These alumni recollections will only serve to enhance the experience that will be the Stewart Indian School Living Legacy.”

The historic Stewart Indian School was in operation from 1890 to 1980. The intent of the Indian boarding school was to educate American Indian children so they could take their place in society and away from their culture and traditions. This is the only site of its kind in Nevada.

“One of the responsibilities of the Nevada 150 Foundation is to implement and carry out the directions of the Sesquicentennial Commission,” said Bud Hicks, president of the NV 150 Foundation. “The Commission voted to give the Nevada Indian Commission this grant for use by the Stewart Indian School in its project to help preserve the oral histories of the students who attended the school. This grant of funds is made to help accomplish two of the main goals of the Commission — to assist in the preservation of Nevada’s history and to help educate current and future generations of Nevadans about our rich heritage. All of us who served on the Commission and continue to serve through the Nevada 150 Foundation certainly look forward to hearing the stories collected from these individuals and learning even more about our state’s history.”

The grant will be used to hire an oral historian to compile in-depth accounts of personal experience and reflections related to the historic Stewart Indian School in Carson City. Audio recordings of these important interviews will be digitally recorded, transcribed, indexed and catalogued. They will be printed and archived at the State of Nevada Indian Commission, State Library and Archives and there will special collections at the University of Nevada, Reno.

For more information about the Nevada 150 Foundation and its support of ongoing legacy projects please visit Nevada150.org/projects.