American Indian College Fund Partners with National Native Scholarship Providers to Raise Awareness of Boarding School Students

September 25, 2025, Denver, Colo.— The American Indian College Fund (College Fund) and other National Native Scholarship Providers (NNSPs), including AISES, Cobell Scholarship Fund, and Native Forward Scholars Fund, are raising awareness of Orange Shirt Day in solidarity with Native people in Canada, where it is observed on September 30 as a federal holiday called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The day commemorates the experiences of residential school survivors, their families, and tribal communities.  People are invited to wear an orange shirt, ribbon, flag, or other item to raise awareness of the treatment of Native students in federally owned and operated boarding schools across North America. The orange shirt was chosen as the symbol for the day to honor Phyllis (Jack) Webstad (Northern Secwpemc), who was taken to a residential school at age six. Upon her arrival, the new, orange shirt Phyllis’ grandmother had bought for her first day of school was confiscated and never returned.

Native peoples in the U.S. faced similar ordeals, as illustrated by the ongoing federal investigation led by former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaaland, and repatriation of remains of Native children from former boarding school sites. There were more than 526 federally funded boarding schools across the United States. As of July 2024, the Department of the Interior estimated 18,624 Native children attended residential boarding schools in the U.S. and at least 973 died while there. The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition estimates that number could be far greater, with more than 60,000 children having attended boarding schools.

In Native cultures children are sacred. The devastation caused by forced assimilation and abuse affected entire generations of students, families, and communities. In addition, children, grandchildren, and subsequent generations of descendants of former Native boarding school students continue to experience the intergenerational or historical trauma resulting from these schools. Important steps towards healing include the release of the 2024 report of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative recommending an apology and President Joe Biden’s formal apology on behalf of the U.S. government on October 25, 2024.  In seeking to heal from the mental and physical struggles caused by the Boarding School Era in the United States, Tribes fought for and established tribally controlled higher education institutions. These institutions educate Native people in their communities while centering education on their Tribes and cultures.

The connection between the boarding school era and the tribal college movement can be seen at Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU). Founded in 1884 as a boarding school, HINU has since transformed into a four-year tribal university serving Native students from over 100 tribes. The faculty, staff, and students at HINU remember and honor the approximately 103 children who perished while attending the boarding school and are buried on campus grounds.

By celebrating Orange Shirt Day, NNSPs invite all people to commemorate the many lives impacted by boarding schools and the power of education in strengthening Native communities and sovereignty.

John Garland, Director of Research and Scholar Success at the Cobell Scholarship Program, said, “Access to higher education is at the core of our mission at the Cobell Scholarship Program—and that access begins long before students consider applying to college. The challenges facing Indigenous communities are often shared across the U.S.–Canadian border, especially when acknowledging the history and lasting impacts of boarding schools. We join with Canadian Indigenous students who are raising awareness through Orange Shirt Day, and we affirm our shared commitment to educational self-determination and sovereignty—work that aligns with the vision and legacy of our namesake, Elouise Cobell, who dedicated her life to justice and opportunity for Native peoples.”

Sarah EchoHawk, President of Advancing Indigenous Peoples in STEM, said, “Native children are set on a journey rooted in instruction and ceremony. Sending them away to boarding schools could not erase centuries of tradition. Like sweetgrass, cedar, and sage— when burned turning to smoke that permeates all things—our Native students carry the teachings that cannot be constrained. From PK12 through higher education Native students walk a path of knowledge, moving toward their destinies as leaders, teachers, and the future of our nations, carrying the wisdom of their ancestors.”

Cheryl Crazy Bull, American Indian College Fund President and CEO, said, “Orange Shirt Day offers an opportunity to be honest about the past even as we work towards a brighter future. The College Fund’s approach is based on healing through education and opportunity. Education gives us the power to reclaim our truth and choose our future while healing from the wounds of the past. Tribal colleges and universities rekindle knowledge nearly lost in the boarding school era and uplift their students to not only succeed in their fields but as members of their sovereign nations – sacred communities.”

About the American Indian College Fund— The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 35 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided $20.5 million in scholarships and other direct student support for access to a higher education steeped in Native culture and values to American Indian students in 2023-24. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $349 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of programs at the nation’s 34 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators. It earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, a Gold Seal of Transparency from Guidestar, and the “Best in America Seal of Excellence” from the Independent Charities of America. The College Fund was also named as one of the nation’s top 100 charities to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org.

Journalists—The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.