At the entrance of the Fort Sill Indian School stood a stone arch that read “U.S. Indian Service; Kiowa Indian Hospital Ft. Sill Indian School.”
The sign stood tall for more than twenty years but disappeared after a large truck hit it in 1958, according to an article shared by the KCA (Kiowa, Comanche and Apache) Interibal Land Use Committee.
Yolanda Ramos is the Executive Director of that committee. She said she found out about the sign from an employee when she started her new role a year ago and knew she had to take action.
After clearing out a path, a bulldozer retrieved the sign from the creek inch-by-inch— a risky maneuver that many told Ramos could break the sign. But she went forward anyway, hoping to regain a memorable part of her community's history.
“It’s been a huge significance in their lives,” Ramos said about Fort Sill Indian School. “Some of it good, some of it bad. But it is still all a part of our history and the history of our relatives and ancestors.”
The boarding school opened in 1871 and aimed to “Americanize” Indigenous students in southwest Oklahoma. Later, it expanded its reach, welcoming students from out-of-state.
The school’s curriculum originally varied depending on the student’s gender. Young boys received agricultural and vocational training, while young girls were taught homemaking skills.
As Ramos noted, former students have expressed differing opinions about their memories of Fort Sill Indian School. But Ramos said preserving the sign is a way of honoring those students, their families and their experiences.
The sign is currently being cleaned and will be returned to the abandoned school site in the coming weeks. Ramos said she hopes to continue restoring the campus.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
