John D. Seebach, PhD, an archaeologist specializing in the prehistory of western United States, will be presenting on the Grand Junction Teller Institute, an American Indian boarding school.

The Federal Indian Residential Boarding School System was designed to assimilate Native American children to the dominant Euro-American society. Two schools were established in Colorado in the late 19th century including two in Colorado--at Fort Lewis in Hesperus and in Grand Junction. The cultural memories of these two campuses could not be more different. Fort Lewis’s History is well-known and honored on the present day campus in Durango, while the Grand Junction school is all but forgotten among the residents of western Colorado. This includes Grand Junction’s now “lost cemetery" of Native children who died while attending the school. Archival documents show the School was an important part of federal education efforts. Why then was it summarily forgotten after its closure? Why is it’s memory in even more jeopardy today?

Seating is limited. Registration is required.

John D. Seebach, PhD, is an archaeologist specializing in the prehistory of the western United States with particular interest the Paleoindian era (ca. 12,500 - 8,000 years before present). He is also the program director for CMU's archeology minor.