Changing the System: Tobeluk v. Lind and the Alaskan Boarding School System

Abstract

This paper focuses on comparing and contrasting the American Indian and Alaskan Native boarding school systems and experiences of the students in the continental United States and the state of Alaska. The Alaskan boarding school system was much different than the continental United States in which it eventually changed to help its students, and didn’t just try to “kill the Indian.” Included in this research is a background on boarding schools, why they were created, and how they affected the American Indian and Alaskan Native populations. Boarding schools like Mt. Edgecumbe and the Wrangell Institute will be looked at more closely in regards to boarding schools in Alaska and how they were administered. The main focus of the paper is the Tobeluk v. Lind case that occurred in Alaska in 1972. This case regarded the schooling that was supposed to be available to Alaskan Natives that the Alaskan government had promised, but did not provide. This court case was the turning point in the Alaskan boarding school system and what it would become. With this change in schooling being made better for Alaskan Native students, these students were able to learn the “system” and “fight” back for what was rightfully theirs. The Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act is an example of how some Alaskan Native students were able to do this. Tobeluk v. Lind had a huge effect on the Alaskan boarding school system, and allowed Alaskan Native students to take control of their education and use it to their advantage unlike many of the boarding schools in the continental United States.