First Nation Perspectives on the Hiawatha Asylum for Insane Indians

consumer/survivor/ex-patient history Jun 01, 2018

Recovery and self-discovery are not just a personal journey. None of us are free until we are all free. Collective recovery. Collective healing. Mending the torn threads of the fabric of our shared humanity. 

Who was Enas-Pah and her newborn Baby Ruth Enas-Pah and why did they die at the Hiawatha Asylum for Insane Indians in Canton South Dakota?

And why did the town of Canton choose to build the Hiawatha Golf Course over the remains of the infant and her mom?

What is the history of segregated psychiatric care for first nations people?

In the 1990's, I asked these questions and my friend, Pemina Yellow Bird and I, headed to Canton South Dakota to find some answers. I urge you to check out what we discovered: Wild Indians: Native Perspectives on the Hiawatha Asylum for Insane Indians.