I conduct research on both historical topics as well as modern library, archival, and information sciences. You can learn more about my past and ongoing research projects here. If you have questions about any of my research, please reach out to me using the contact information on the home page!
History of Medicine at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School (1879-1918)
The Carlisle Indian Industrial School (CIIS), which operated in Central Pennsylvania between 1879 and 1918, was the U.S. federal government’s first attempt at off-reservation boarding school education for Native American youth. CIIS, and the dozens of schools like it across the United States, were designed to erase Indigenous identities and cultures through assimilation and Christianization.
My research focuses on the history of medicine at CIIS, as well as the history of death at the school. This research has resulted in the publication of my 2020 article in American Indian Quarterly as well as two unpublished dissertations and numerous conference presentations. See my Curriculum Vitae for more information. This research is ongoing.
Image (left) is a postcard image of students in military formation on the parade grounds of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, c. 1908. Image courtesy of the Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center.
History of Other Pennsylvania Indian Boarding Schools
Aside from the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, two other schools for the education of Indigenous youth were established in Pennsylvania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: the Martinsburg Indian School at the Juniata Collegiate Institute in Martinsburg, and the Lincoln Institute in Philadelphia. Additionally, numerous other private, religious, and public schools across the Commonwealth educated small groups of Native American children throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This ongoing research seeks to identify these schools and the students educated there.
Image (right) is a photograph of the marker that stands at the former site of the Juniata College Institute in Martinsburg, Pennsylvania. Image is my own.
Role of Digital Archives in Decolonization
Digital archiving projects, such as the Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center (CISDRC), provide opportunities for archivists to decolonize their collections and expand information accessibility and control by historically marginalized groups. Together with the CISDRC Co-Directors, I studied the ways in which the project helps further decolonization efforts. This research resulted in a book chapter in Digital Mapping and Indigenous America (Routledge, 2021). See my Curriculum Vitae for detailed publication information.
Image (left) is a screen capture of the home page for the CISDRC, the digital archive at the center of this research project. Image courtesy of the CISDRC.
