The Shawnee Indian Mission state historic site in Kansas is at the center of a dispute over control between the Shawnee Tribe and the Kansas Historical Society, the city of Fairway, and a nonprofit organization. The tribe is seeking to acquire the former Native American boarding school where children endured assimilation tactics. The bill, which would transfer control of the site to the Shawnee Tribe with stipulations, is facing opposition from those currently involved in operating the site, who fear a loss of historical accuracy. The tribe has pledged to fund the restoration of the site and has received support from other tribes in Kansas. However, some members of other tribes are cautioning against oversimplifying the history of assimilation and boarding schools. The site has a complicated history, founded by a Methodist missionary who was a slaveholder and pro-slavery advocate, and it served children from various tribes who were eventually removed from Kansas. The push for control over the site reflects a larger conversation about the troubled history of Native American boarding schools in the U.S.
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