The corner of Minnesota Drive and Northern Lights Boulevard was filled with people wearing orange shirts and waving signs Friday morning in honor of Orange Shirt Day, also recognized as the National Day of Remembrance for U.S. Indian Boarding Schools.
, at least 2,076 Alaska Native children were enrolled in a secondary boarding school. Many faced abuse, and some never returned home.
It is a dark history that Christiansen-Stiller said has been left out of the history books and school. She had to learn about boarding schools and the impact they had on her ancestors through family members. Still to this day, Christiansen-Stiller said, it is a horrific tale that continues to impact her community and they are still healing and working to reunite their lost loved ones.
Christiansen-Stiller said it is part of the healing process to be able to reunite the remains of deceased loved ones and moments like Friday, where she and others are advocating and helping educate others, that allows them to start the long, healing process.