The history of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School (CIIS) remains one of the most painful chapters in Native American history. It continues to influence the well-being and cultural resilience of Native communities today.

Christine speaks with Dr. Amanda Cheromiah, Executive Director of the Jim Thorpe Center for the Futures of Native Peoples and a member of the Laguna Pueblo. Their conversation returns to the history of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School and what it continues to mean today.

The Jim Thorpe Center at Dickinson College, supported by a $20 million gift from Samuel G. Rose, aims to promote Native voices and serve as a place for education and reflection. Also, the funds will support the Samuel G. Rose Art Gallery, celebrating Indigenous art and representing the largest single arts investment in Dickinson history."

The legacy of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School is still felt today, and it shapes how Native communities approach healing and education.

Dr. Cheromiah speaks about the history of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which operated from 1879 to 1918 on the grounds now occupied by the United States Army Carlisle Barracks. Richard Henry Pratt founded the school with the philosophy, “Kill the Indian, save the man.”

The school took children from their families and forced them to assimilate into white culture. Their languages and traditional dress were forbidden. Their long hair was cut, and their identities were suppressed. However, the impact of that history remains.

Dr. Cheromiah reflects on what it means for Native people to return to these grounds. They walk through spaces where their ancestors lived, studied, and endured. She speaks of the hope that understanding can help build bridges between communities.

This is not an easy conversation. But it is an important one.

This episode invites listeners to pause and consider what it means to remember. While changing the past is not possible, it is possible to learn from it and support Native-led efforts for healing and reconciliation. In doing so, it encourages a deeper awareness of how the history of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School continues to live in the present and shape the future.

Contact information for Dr. Cheromiah - cheromia@dickinson.edu. Follow her on Instagram @drcheromiah

Her podcast is Indigenous Revolt

• Grant opportunities for artists and arts organizations
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• How to connect with Pennsylvania Creative Industries

Funding Information Website

Whether you're looking for support, inspiration, or a better understanding of how imagination and community intersect, this episode offers both insight and practical direction. Contact Sarah: skmerritt@pa.gov & (717) 787-1521

Season 2 closes with one of the most powerful conversations we've had.

In Episode 38, I sit down with Jane Jacobs of the Skaroreh Katenuaka Nation in North Carolina — founder of Eastern Woodland Protectors, water protector, seedkeeper, and advocate for ancestral land.

This episode runs just over an hour. Part of that time includes a reflection on Season 2 — the growth, the numbers, and the voices shared — but the heart of this finale belongs to Jane and her story.

Jane speaks about the deep connection between land, water, language, and people — how they are not separate things, but one and the same. She shares the history of her Nation's presence in North Carolina, the legacy of Indian Woods, and the responsibility to protect the land for seven generations.

We talk about the Cape Fear River, once a traditional trade and fishing route for her people — now polluted with PFAS and GenX chemicals released by Chemours, a DuPont spin-off. Jane explains how these “forever chemicals” entered the waterway and what it means for elders who still rely on that river for food.

The story of corporate pollution in this region was portrayed in the film Dark Waters starring Mark Ruffalo.

Ruffalo also produced the documentary GenX, examining the ongoing contamination of the Cape Fear River and the human cost of industrial waste: The Good Mind Project — a plan to use hemp to filter toxins from water and soil, create sustainable housing materials, and restore balance.

The conversation then turns to the 2024 confrontation at the Cedar Point / Bridge View archaeological site, one of the most significant Native archaeological discoveries in North Carolina in over 30 years. Jane and others gathered in ceremony to honor ancestral remains uncovered during construction. What followed was a violent assault and a legal battle that is still unfolding.

She shares what happened that day, the trauma that followed, and the strength it takes to forgive.

This episode is not just about activism. It is about responsibility. It is about water. It is about memory. It is about what we owe the generations coming after us.

If you want to reach Jane Jacobs or support her work, you can contact her at: easternwoodlandprotectors@gmail.com