Date of Award
8-2026
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
English
Program
English (MA)
First Advisor/Chairperson
Kel Sassi
Abstract
This thesis analyzes the impacts of the Indian boarding school era on Menominee people through using St. Joseph’s Indian Industrial School in Keshena, Wisconsin, as a focal point of study. Through analyzing the social and political contexts of the school, oral texts from St. Joseph’s survivors, and contemporary popular culture texts, this thesis examines the intergenerational impacts of the boarding school era on Menominee people and Indigenous people in general. I employ Indigenous methodologies from Leanne Betasamosake Simpson (Anishinaabe), Kathleen Absolon (Anishinaabe), and Shawn Wilson (Cree) to ground my approach to research and engagement with survivor testimonies. Further, I draw on Raphael Lemkin’s genocide definition to establish the nature of the harm created by boarding schools. The thesis concludes by summarizing the analyses made throughout the chapters, while looking at the way, despite it all, Menominee culture and language are experiencing resurgence in Keshena today.
Recommended Citation
Tucker, Ciera R., "Land and Language at St. Joseph’s Indian Industrial School and Beyond" (2026). All NMU Master's Theses. 932.
https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/932
Access Type
Open Access
Signed Signature Page
Included in
Literature in English, North America Commons, Literature in English, North America, Ethnic and Cultural Minority Commons