School helps Native American children improve their lives

At Wahpeton Indian School, children are being taught to see who they are and where they came from

WAHPETON, North Dakota (CNN) -- An effort is under way to change how Native American children view themselves, and how they can improve their lives.

Over the years, off-reservation boarding schools reinforced negative stereotypes of Native Americans.

But educators at the Wahpeton Indian School in North Dakota -- originally one of the federal boarding schools -- are taking steps help Native American children understand themselves.

	VIDEO
CNN's Larry Woods looks at Native American schools that have shifted from stripping American Indians of their culture to preserving it. Windows Media 28K 80K

Children at the school may suffer from a variety of problems, such as drug use or sexual molestation, or may simply lack direction. But the school is trying to help by teaching the kids their cultural heritage.

It's not a place for miracles -- but it is a place for hope.

Watch Larry Wood's report.

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American Indian Schools, Colleges, Tribes
State Historical Society of North Dakota

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