Paiute Tribe confirms bodies of 12 children buried at former boarding school site in southern Utah [Video]

Editor’s note • This story includes descriptions of abuse and the death of Indigenous children. Native leaders have called for additional mental health support as Indigenous communities learn more about this history. Currently, the Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake provides outpatient mental health services. Learn more at uicsl.org. A Tribal Resource Tool is available at tribalresourcetool.org.

The bodies of 12 children are now confirmed to have been buried at the site of a former Indigenous boarding school in southern Utah, according to Paiute tribal leaders.

The Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah and its five sovereign bands released a statement Tuesday saying members are “devastated” to learn about the tragic results of the ground-penetrating radar work done at the location in Panguitch.

“Our hearts go out to the families of these children as we are left to consider how best to honor and memorialize their suffering,” said Ona Segundo, chairwoman of the Kaibab Band, in the statement provided to …