CARSON CITY—The grand opening of the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum has been postponed. The Nevada Indian Commission, which has been closed to the public since Governor Steve Sisolak’s directive on March 12, made the decision to protect the safety of elders and the community.
Opened to the public in January, the Cultural Center & Museum occupies what was once the school’s administrative building. Stewart Indian School was operated by the federal government for 90 years to forcefully educate Native American children. This assimilation policy impacted thousands of Native students not only from the Great Basin tribal nations, but over 200 tribes over the school’s 90-year history.
Currently, visitors can still use the guide-by-cell phone audio tour. This walking tour allows guests to view the center’s physical site and to learn from alumni about their experience at the boarding school. These firsthand accounts are also available online at: https://stewartindianschool.com/walking-trail/. Museum staff also have posted to the Stewart Indian School Facebook site architectural photos of the museum’s interior to share with the public until the museum can re-open.
