Home From School: The Children of Carlisle

Premiered November 23, 2021
Directed by Geoffrey O’Gara

Native Americans recover the remains of children who died at an Indian boarding school.

About the Documentary

"Kill the Indian in him, and save the man.” This was the guiding principle that removed thousands of Native American children and placed them in Indian boarding schools. Among the many who died at Carlisle Indian Industrial School were three Northern Arapaho boys. Now, more than a century later, tribal members journey from Wyoming to Pennsylvania to help them finally come home.

The Filmmakers

Geoffrey O’Gara

Geoffrey O’Gara and his Caldera Productions documentary company tell stories rooted in the American West. Award-winning productions include The State of Equality, Ferret Town, and Will Rogers & American Politics. His book What You See in Clear Water, about the Wind River Reservation, won a Spur Award for best nonfiction.

Sophie Barksdale

Sophie Barksdale is an Australian native known for her work at Caldera Productions, the Bord Scannan na hEireann/the Irish Film Board, and The National Gallery of Victoria. Sophie co-produced the Heartland Emmy-nominee The State of Equality. Sophie’s Who She Is, made with colleague Jordan Dresser, marks her first foray into animation.

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Learn More About the Documentary

Arapaho and Shoshone children arrive off the train to Carlisle, 1881
Beyond the Films

Three Arapaho Boys: Reclaiming Their Lives and Retelling Their Stories

Tribals members pay their respects at Little Chief's reburial at Sharp Nose Cemetery, Wind River Reservation, WY (From Left: Fay Ann Soldier Wolf, Mark Soldier Wolf, Hubert Friday, Nelson White, Crawford White, Yufna Soldier Wolf), 2017
Behind the Films

Northern Arapaho Tribal Members Find Hope in the Unacknowledged History That Haunts Our Present