Chemawa Oregon Indian School Graduating Class 1912 Real Photo Postcard

Chemawa Indian School, established in 1880 near Salem, Oregon, was one of the earliest and longest-running off-reservation boarding schools for Native American children in the United States. Its primary mission, typical of its era, was to assimilate indigenous youth into mainstream American culture through vocational training, academic instruction, and the suppression of traditional languages and customs. The First Graduation Class in June 1912 marks a significant milestone in the school's history, representing the culmination of this educational model for its early students.