I assumed the students would have left Chilocco hating the place. On the contrary, many students were happy that they got the chance to experience what came with boarding school life. They will always have that one thing in common. They will always relate to others who shared the same experiences with them. Today, there are elders who have attended boarding school and I sense that they still enjoy sharing stories from their childhood. The only people who completely understand what the students were put through are those who were there.
The students learned many valuable life lessons as well. Dorm life was their first experience with being away from home and living with others. Only the students understood what the students were going through. Today, when many young people leave for college, culture shock is to be expected. Technology has made this easier to handle and overcome. The children of Chilocco had nothing but each other. They couldn’t pick up a cell phone or e-mail their family members back home; instead, they turned to one another for support.

After reading the narratives, I realized that I have always been a little close minded about boarding schools. Experiencing Chilocco from a student’s point of view helped me understand that not every aspect of Indian boarding schools is negative. The trades and skills that the students learned will forever be with them, as well as all of the friendships that developed.