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Notes for Using this List:
● The Tribal Nations impacted are listed as they appear in historical documents and may not reflect the names used by the Nations today.
● An asterisk next to the name of a religious community means that the community has verified the dates as accurate.
● This list was last updated on May 5, 2023
St. Benedict Indian School (renamed Martin Kenel Agricultural School)
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1879–1919 (see notes)
Current Diocese: Rapid City
Previous Dioceses Involved:
Vicariate Apostolic of Dakota, 1879–1889
Sioux Falls, 1889–1902
Lead, 1902–1906
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Order of St. Benedict (Saint Meinrad Abbey, St. Meinrad, IN), 1879–1884*
Order of St. Benedict (Conception Abbey, Conception, MO), 1884–1906*
Sisters of St. Benedict (Ferdinand, IN), 1878–1882
Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery (Yankton, SD), 1882–1906*
On a Reservation: Standing Rock Reservation
On the Department of the Interior List: Yes
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Blackfeet; Unkpapa; Yanktonai-Dakota
Notes: In 1879, Abbot Martin Marty, stationed at Fort Yates, applied to the federal government for a tract of land to open an agricultural school for boys. Initially, the school only served boys over the age of 12, but eventually, younger boys and girls attended (girls were taught housework). In 1883, Marty (now the vicar apostolic of the Dakota Territory) transferred the school to government control. The following year the Benedictines from Saint Meinrad withdrew and turned over administration of the school to the Benedictines from Conception, MO. Rev. Martin Kenel was appointed as a school administrator, a post he held until he retired in 1906. At his retirement, the government renamed the school in his honor, and both Benedictine communities withdrew from the school. The school continued to operate with lay teachers until it closed in 1919.
Kenel South Dakota
St. Benedict’s Industrial School
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1884–1896
Current Diocese: St. Cloud
Previous Diocese Involved:
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Minnesota, 1884–1889
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, MN, 1884–1896*
On a Reservation: No
On the Department of the Interior List: Yes
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Chippewa from White Earth Reservation
Notes: The Sisters of St. Benedict received a federal contract to educate 30 Native American girls from the White Earth Reservation. The government canceled the contract in 1896, and the school closed.
St. Joseph Minnesota
St. Benedict’s Industrial School for Indian Girls (later St. Benedict’s Mission School)
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1878–1969
Current Diocese: Crookston
Previous Dioceses Involved:
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Minnesota, 1878–1889
St. Cloud, 1889–1909
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, MN, 1878–1969*
Order of St. Benedict (St. John’s Abbey, Collegeville, MN), 1878–1969*
On a Reservation: White Earth Reservation
On the Department of the Interior List: Yes
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Chippewa; Ojibwe
Notes: The school opened in 1878 and was destroyed by fire the following year. It reopened in 1882. In 1945 the boarding school closed. The school transitioned into a day school for local students and was renamed St. Benedict’s Mission School.
White Earth Minnesota
St. Boniface Indian Industrial School
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1889–1969
Current Diocese: San Bernardino
Previous Dioceses Involved:
Monterey and Los Angeles, 1889–1922
Los Angeles-San Diego, 1922–1936
San Diego, 1936–1969
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Order of St. Benedict (Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, PA), 1889–1890*
Missionaries of the Precious Blood (United States Province), 1893–1901 (see notes)*
Order of Friars Minor (Province of Saint Barbara), 1921–1952
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (Los Angeles Province), 1890–1956*
Brothers of St. Jude, 1952–1957
Brothers of Charity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, 1957–unknown
On a Reservation: No
On the Department of the Interior List: Yes
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Cahuilla; Gabrielino-Tongva; JuanenoKumeyaay; Luiseno; Serrano
Notes: The Benedictine Fathers of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, PA, oversaw the land purchase (paid for by the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions) and construction of the school. In 1890, the bishop of Monterey and Los Angeles asked Fr. Florian Hahn, C.PP.S., to serve as administrator of the school. Hahn was a member of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, but he served at the school under the direction of the bishop rather than his religious community. In 1902, he became a priest for the Diocese of Monterey and Los Angeles, severing his ties with the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. Priests from the Diocese of Monterey and Los Angeles served at the school until 1921 when the Franciscan Friars took over the administration. In 1952, the Franciscans withdrew from the school and were replaced by priests from the Diocese of San Diego. By 1950, most students were not indigenous, and in 1953 the school officially ceased to be an “Indian” school. The school underwent many name changes beginning in 1952, including New Hope USA School, St. Boniface Boys Town of the Desert, Basil Brewer Boys Town of the Desert, Boys Town of the Desert, and American Boys Ranch. In 1969, the school was moved to a new campus, and in 1974 the original campus at Banning was demolished.
Banning California
St. Catherine Indian School
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1886–1998
Current Diocese: Santa Fe
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Sisters of Loretto, 1886–1889*
Order of St. Benedict (St. Benedict’s Abbey, Atchison, KS), 1889–1890*
Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, 1894–1998*
On a Reservation: No
On the Department of the Interior List: Yes
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Navajo, Pueblos, as well as mission tribes of California and tribes from southern Arizona
Notes: Katharine Drexel (later Mother Katharine of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament) paid for the construction of the school. Lay teachers staffed the school from after the departure of the Sisters of Loretto until the arrival of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1894.
Santa Fe New Mexico
St. Charles Mission School
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1892–1897 (see notes)
Current Diocese: Great Falls-Billings
Previous Diocese Involved:
Helena, 1892–1897
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Union (Western Province), 1892–1897*
Jesuits (West Province), 1892–1897*
On a Reservation: Crow Reservation
On the Department of the Interior List: No
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Crow
Notes: In 1897, the school closed, and in 1901 the Jesuits sold the buildings to the United States Government. The Jesuits reopened the mission in 1925. The school reopened as a day school, although the exact date of the reopening is difficult to determine. The Jesuits (West Province) staffed the day school from 1925 to 1965 and the Sisters of St. Francis (Oldenburg, IN) from 1936 to 2000. The Capuchin Franciscans (Province of St. Joseph) began working at the school in 1967 and continue to work there today [2023]. St. Charles Mission School is part of the St. Labre Indian School Educational Association, which includes the following schools: St. Labre elementary, middle, and high schools in Ashland, Montana; Pretty Eagle Catholic School in St. Xavier, Montana; and St. Charles Mission school in Pryor, Montana.
Pryor Montana
St. Elizabeth School
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1888–1948
Current Diocese: Oklahoma City
Previous Dioceses Involved:
Prefecture Apostolic of Indian Territory, 1888–1891
Vicariate Apostolic of Indian Territory, 1891–1905
Oklahoma, 1905–1930
Oklahoma City and Tulsa, 1930–1948
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, 1888–1948*
Order of St. Benedict (St. Gregory’s Abbey, Shawnee, OK), 1888–1905
On a Reservation: Chickasaw Reservation
On the Department of the Interior List: Yes
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Chickasaw; Choctaw
Purcell Oklahoma
St. Francis Mission School
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1886–1975 (see notes)
Current Diocese: Rapid City
Previous Dioceses Involved:
Vicariate Apostolic of Dakota, 1886–1889
Sioux Falls, 1889–1902
Lead, 1902–1930
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Jesuits (Midwest Province), 1886–1975*
Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity (North American Province), 1886–1939*
Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity (Sacred Heart Community), 1939–1981*
On a Reservation: Rosebud Reservation
On the Department of the Interior List: No
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Sicangu Lakota
Notes: In 1916, a campus-wide fire destroyed most of the school’s records. In 1972, tribal leadership approached the Bureau of Indian Affairs and requested funding to take over the administration of the school. BIA funding was not sufficient to operate the school independently, so the Catholic Church agreed to make decreasing payments to the school until 1980. The Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity staffed the school, first as part of the North American Mission, which became the North American Province in 1900, then as part of the Sacred Heart Province (now Community) in 1939.
Note about this school’s archives: In addition to onsite materials, records from St. Francis Mission are housed at Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI. For more information: https://www.marquette.edu/library/archives/Mss/SFM/SFM-history.php
St. Francis South Dakota
St. George’s Indian School
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1888–1937
Current Diocese: Seattle
Previous Diocese Involved:
Nesqually, 1888–1907
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, 1888–1937*
On a Reservation: Puyallop Reservation
On the Department of the Interior List: Yes
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Lummi; Nisqually; Puyallup; Snoqualmie
Notes: The school was founded by a diocesan priest using money received from Mother Katharine Drexel. Blanchet is sometimes used as the location of the school.
Tacoma Washington
St. Ignatius Indian Industrial Boarding School
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1864–1941
Current Diocese: Helena
Previous Dioceses Involved:
Vicariate Apostolic of Nebraska, 1864–1868
Vicariate Apostolic of Idaho, 1868–1884
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Jesuits (West Province), 1864–1941*
Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Union (Western Province), 1890–1941*
On a Reservation: Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation
On the Department of the Interior List: Yes
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Blackfoot; Cheyenne; Coeur d’Alene; Colville; Flathead; Cree; Gros Ventre; Iroquois; Kalispel; Kootenai; Nez Perce; Upper Pend d’Oreilles; Ojibwe; Piegan; Salish; Snake; Spokane; Umatilla
Notes: In 1864, the Jesuits opened a day school for boys, while the Sisters of Providence opened a boarding school for girls. In 1878, the Jesuits opened an industrial and agricultural boarding school for boys over the age of 12. Boys under 12 attended the Sisters of Providence day school. In 1890, the Ursuline sisters arrived and opened a kindergarten. In 1898, the Ursulines moved to a new location on the mission property and opened their own school, possibly a continuation of the kindergarten. About 1913, they also took over teaching the boys at the Jesuit school. In 1919, a fire destroyed the Sisters of Providence School, and they chose not to rebuild. The Ursulines took over the operation of the girls’ boarding and day schools. In 1922, their convent and school burned down, and they built Villa Ursula. In 1941, the Jesuits closed their school, and all children attended Villa Ursula. For more information, see the entries for St. Ignatius, Villa Ursula, and St. Ignatius, Holy Family School.
St. Ignatius Montana
St. John’s Indian Industrial School
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1885–1896
Current Diocese: St. Cloud
Previous Diocese Involved:
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Minnesota, 1885–1889
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Order of St. Benedict (St. John’s Abbey, Collegeville, MN), 1885–1896*
On a Reservation: No
On the Department of the Interior List: Yes
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Chippewa
Collegeville Minnesota
St. John’s School
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1898–1995
Current Diocese: Phoenix
Previous Diocese Involved:
Tucson, 1898–1969
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, c1899–c1900
Order of Friars Minor (Province of the Sacred Heart), 1898–1915
Order of Friars Minor (Province of Saint Barbara), 1915–1981
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (Los Angeles Province), 1901–1938*
Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, 1939–1995*
On a Reservation: Gila River Reservation
On the Department of the Interior List: No
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Apache; Maricopa; Pima; Tohono O’odham
Notes: A day school opened in 1898, staffed by lay teachers, until Sr. Mary Berchmanns, a Mercy Sister from Phoenix, came to teach the girls for about a year. In 1901, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet arrived and opened a boarding section at the school.
Note about location: The school was located in Komatke, a village in the Gila River Reservation. It is located directly south of Laveen and is part of the postal jurisdiction for Laveen (meaning it has a Laveen mailing address). The two names are used interchangeably when referring to the school.
St. John’s School
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1888–1913
Current Diocese: Tulsa
Previous Dioceses Involved:
Prefecture Apostolic of Indian Territory, 1888–1891
Vicariate Apostolic of Indian Territory, 1891–1905
Oklahoma, 1905–1913
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, 1888–1907*
De La Salle Christian Brothers (Midwest District), 1907–1913*
Order of St. Benedict (St. Gregory’s Abbey, Shawnee, OK), 1889–1913
On a Reservation: Yes
On the Department of the Interior List: Possibly (see notes)
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Osage
Notes: The school was founded by Katharine Drexel (later Mother Katharine of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament) and the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions. The Department of the Interior list has St. John’s School for Osage Indian Boys in Blackburn, Oklahoma. Blackburn is close to Hominy Creek, so this might be the same school.
Hominy Creek Oklahoma
St. Joseph Academy / St. Francis Xavier
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1888–1896
Current Diocese: Yakima
Previous Diocese Involved:
Nesqually, 1888–1896
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Sisters of Providence (formerly Daughters of Charity, Servants of the Poor), 1888–1896*
Jesuits (West Province), 1888–1896*
On a Reservation: North Yakama Agency
On the Department of the Interior List: No
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Yakama
Notes: In 1875, a priest living in Yakima City built a school. The Sisters of Providence were asked to staff the school, which was called St. Joseph Academy. In 1887 and 1888, the sisters purchased property in North Yakima and moved the school there. In 1888, they began teaching Yakama children. The sisters did not assign the Yakama ministry a name in their records and saw it as a division of St. Joseph’s Academy rather than a separate school. Externally, the school was known as St. Francis Xavier, most likely named such by the Jesuits who ran the parish. In 1896, the sisters received word that their government contract was canceled and the school closed. St. Joseph’s Academy continued to operate until 1969.
Yakima Washington
St. Joseph Industrial School
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1881–1980
Current Diocese: Green Bay
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Order of Friars Minor (Province of the Sacred Heart), 1881–1980
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (St. Louis Province), 1881–1980*
On a Reservation: Menominee Reservation
On the Department of the Interior List: No
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Menominee; Oneida; Stockbridge
Notes: The boarding section closed in 1952, and the school continued to operate as a day school until 1980.
Note about School Archives: Oral histories from St. Joseph’s Industrial School are housed at Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI. For more information: https://www.marquette.edu/library/archives/Mss/SJIS/SJIS-sc.php
Keshena Wisconsin
St. Joseph Mission School
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1902–1968
Current Diocese: Boise
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Jesuits (West Province), 1902–1958*
Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton, IN (now Congregation of St. Joseph), 1902–1904
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (Los Angeles Province), 1904–1968 (see notes)*
On a Reservation: Nez Perce Reservation
On the Department of the Interior List: Yes
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Lapwai; Nez Perce
Notes: In 1902, St. Joseph’s Mission School opened as a boarding school, and by 1915 began accepting orphans. In 1928, St. Vincent’s Orphanage in Pocatello, Idaho, closed, and the children were moved to St. Joseph’s. Around this same time, the Sisters of St. Joseph were advised to change the name of the facility to St. Joseph’s Orphanage to encourage more donations. In 1944, the name was changed again to St. Joseph’s Children’s Home because few orphans lived there.
Note about Carondelet Sisters: The Sisters of St. Joseph of Lewiston, ID, took over the school in 1904. In 1925, they joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (now the Los Angeles Province).
Slickpoo Idaho
St. Joseph’s Academy
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1899–1968
Current Diocese: Oklahoma City
Previous Dioceses Involved:
Vicariate Apostolic of Indian Territory, 1899–1905
Oklahoma, 1905–1930
Oklahoma City and Tulsa, 1930–1968
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, 1899–1968*
On a Reservation: Chickasaw Nation
On the Department of the Interior List: Yes
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Chickasaw
Notes: A new building was constructed in the 1920s. It appears that the boarding school was closed at that time, and the school’s name was changed to St. Joseph’s Academy.
Chickasha Oklahoma
St. Joseph’s College
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1909–1955
Current Diocese: Tulsa
Previous Dioceses Involved:
Oklahoma, 1909–1930
Oklahoma City and Tulsa, 1930–1955
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Brothers of the Sacred Heart, 1909–1955*
On a Reservation: No
On the Department of the Interior List:
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Cherokee; Choctaw; Creek; Muskogee
Notes: The Nazareth Institute in Muskogee was a boarding school for girls and a co-ed day school. The Brothers of the Sacred Heart were invited to Muskogee to open a commercial college for older boys, which they named Nazareth College. The two schools operated on the same property until 1909, when the Brothers purchased 10 acres a mile and a half from the city. That same year they opened St. Joseph’s College at the new location. Brothers continued to teach at the Institute until 1916. The Brothers eventually changed the name of the college to St. Joseph Preparatory School. At the end of the 1954–1955 school year, the Brothers sold the property to the Diocese of Tulsa. For more information, see the entries for Muskogee, Nazareth Institute, and Muskogee, Nazareth College.
Muskogee Oklahoma
St. Joseph’s Indian School
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1927–present [2023]
Current Diocese: Sioux Falls
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Priests of the Sacred Heart (Hales Corners, WI), 1927–present [2023]*
Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, 1928–1933*
Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery (Yankton, SD), 1934–1975
Dominican Sisters of Oxford, MI (now the Dominican Sisters of Peace), 1972–1973*
Oblate Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (Marty, SD), 1973–1975*
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas*, 1975–1977
On a Reservation: No
On the Department of the Interior List: Yes
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Brulé Lakota; Cheyenne River Sioux; Crow Creek Reservation; Pine Ridge Reservation; Sans Arc Lakota; Santee Dakota; Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota; Standing Rock Reservation
Notes: In 1927, the Priests of the Sacred Heart purchased the buildings of the former Columbia College and opened St. Joseph’s Indian School. In 1982, the girls’ dormitories were converted into family living units and the following year units for boys were constructed. In 1995, St. Joseph’s Indian School became accredited as a Native American Group Living Services.
Chamberlain South Dakota
St. Joseph’s Normal School for Indian Boys
Details:
Dates of Operation: 1888–1896
Current Diocese: Lafayette-in-Indiana
Previous Diocese Involved:
Fort Wayne, 1888–1896
Religious Orders who worked at the Parish / School:
Missionaries of the Precious Blood (United States Province), 1888–1896*
Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart (Frankfort, IL); 1888–1890*
On a Reservation: No
On the Department of the Interior List: Yes
Tribal Nations Impacted (as listed in historical documents):
Dakota; Ojibwa
Notes: The Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions opened the school in 1888 with the intention that the Bureau director would supervise it. When that proved difficult, the Bureau asked the Missionaries of the Precious Blood to take over the administration of the school while the Bureau maintained ownership of the property. The Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart oversaw domestic duties at the school and never served as teachers.
Rensselaer Indiana