Where Have All the Children Gone?

The Catawba Nation and the Carlisle Indian School 

Presented by Alan Dabney

U.S. Veteran and Advisor of the Catawba Indian Nation

In the 1870s, the United States government attempted to educate and assimilate Native Americans into “civilized” society by placing children from diverse tribes into distant, residential boarding schools. Forced into a world that deprived them of their language, contact with their families, and their ethnic identity, many struggled, suffered physical abuse, found ways to escape, or developed faith in self and heritage.

One such school was the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. It served as a model for the other off-reservation schools built across the country. “Where Have All the Children Gone? – The Catawba and the Carlisle Indian School” is the story of one child’s journey as a student of the Carlisle School as told by his great-grandson, Alan Dabney. Through first-hand accounts and letters, Alan will present his great-grandfather’s experiences of daily life at Carlisle, the escape attempts, and finally being able to leave when he turned 18.

Alan is the Director of Greenville County Veterans Affairs and a member of the Catawba Indian Nation where he also serves as Veteran Advisor of the Catawba Indian Nation in Rock Hill. A seventh-generation soldier with ancestors serving in every major military conflict dating to the American Revolution, Alan retired as a Master Sergeant from the Army after 21 years.

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