May 13, 2022 – Bishop Kettler’s statement re: Native American Boarding Schools

May 13, 2022

BISHOP KETTLER’S STATEMENT RE: NATIVE AMERICAN BOARDING SCHOOLS

Bishop Donald Kettler offered the following statement:

“Native American boarding schools represent a difficult and painful chapter in the history of our country. I and the other Catholic bishops of Minnesota are committed to journeying together with our Native American brothers and sisters to foster healing. We are also committed to making available to them any archival records related to the schools.

“The Diocese of St. Cloud, specifically, does not have any record of diocesan-run Indigenous boarding schools being operated by the diocese. A few religious orders located in the diocese operated such schools for short periods of time starting in the late 19th century and staffed similar schools in other dioceses. I am very grateful to these communities for their ongoing work in addressing the boarding school issue collaboratively with tribal leaders.”