Stewart Indian School
Winter 2024-2025
A boarding school for American Indian children becomes one of Nevada’s most important cultural institutions.
BY CORY MUNSON
The quiet campus of the Stewart Indian School stands as a memorial to a traumatic—and lingering—chapter in American history. But while the school’s early years were marked by cruelty and abuse, it ultimately transformed into a place of pride, community, and healing. Today, the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum archives the seldom-taught history behind Indian boarding schools. However, the center also lives in the present as a place of gathering that allows visitors to discover northern Nevada’s rich Native culture.
A Complex History
Between the early-19th and mid-20th century, the U.S. government helped fund more than 500 boarding schools for American Indian children. These schools were designed to remove children from their Indigenous cultures and assimilate them into American society—often by force. In their new, highly regimented environment, students received Western-sounding names and instruction in (among other things) English, Christianity, and vocational skills.
For decades, students suffered under a system designed to erase their cultural identity. However, by the early 21st century, reports of terrible conditions and abuse inside the schools prompted public outrage. In the 1930s, the government passed progressive policies—known as the Indian New Deal. The schools stopped suppressing Native culture and began reinforcing it.
The Stewart Indian School was founded in 1890 as one of four Indian boarding schools in Nevada. Most of the thousands of students who attended were Washoe, Paiute, and Western Shoshone.
Like nearly all Indian boarding schools, it began as an oppressive place full of painful memories. But as the country changed, so did the school’s purpose. Over time, it transitioned into a proud, inclusive institution still fondly remembered by its alumni.
What separates the school today from similar institutions is its state of preservation and its continued role as a community center and visitor destination.
After the school closed in 1980, the state acquired the land, much of which it donated back to the Washoe Tribe. In 2020, the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum opened inside what was once the administrative building. Today, the center is hard at work to restore other campus buildings, including the gymnasium and the auditorium.
The Center
The center features an art gallery, storytelling room, research library, and—of course—the must-see museum that chronicles the school’s near-century-long legacy. The center also hosts classes—open to the public—on traditional cooking, basket weaving, and the medicinal and practical use of plants found in the Great Basin.
The Campus
The 240-acre campus is home to 65 stone buildings, most built by students under the guidance of Hopi stoneworkers. Take a walk on the Stewart Indian School Trail, a self-guided cellphone tour featuring first-person accounts and stories from alumni. Before you set out, be sure to pick up the Stewart Indian School Rock Scavenger Hunt Guide and try to spot all 27 varieties of stone quarried from the Carson area.
The Gift Shop
The school’s post office is now the center’s gift shop. Its shelves are packed with works by Native artists and artisans—the largest collection of such products in the state. The vibrant display includes tule duck decoys, necklaces and earrings, and fishing rods adorned with glass beads. You’ll also find balms, salves, and sprays made from locally harvested pine nut and sage, as well as a large collection of prints and paintings.
The Wa-Pai-Shone Art Gallery
Originally a student-run co-op established in the 1930s, this charming gallery houses a variety of Native art. Most pieces are provided by the Great Basin Native Artists, an organization dedicated to education and creating exhibition opportunities for Native artists. The current exhibit features artwork created by school alumni.
Stewart Father’s Day Powwow
Since 1990, the Stewart Indian School grounds have hosted an exciting, weekend-long cultural celebration. The event features artisans, artists, food and craft vendors, and a wide variety of activities, including competitive dancing.