Young Friends Ask For Reparations

At the Carolina Friends School in Teacher James’s classroom, fourth grade students start the year by reviewing Quaker history. They learn about the impact that Quakers had on many Native People in North America. Students then write letters to Quaker meetings, asking present-day Quakers to take steps toward repair for the past.

After checking with parents and students, FGC selected several student essays to be published, either in part or in full. We hope you enjoy reading them! These essays are shared as part of FGC’s Prophetic Witness series, which highlights uncomfortable truth and unwavering integrity. Congratulations to all of the students featured here! You have found ways to describe complicated historical processes in you own words. Thank you, Friends, for your witness to the truth!

To protect the privacy of minors, only the students’ initials are shared here.

R’s letter

Friend R wrote the letter below, which we are publishing in full. (We’re using student initials to protect privacy.) You may read this letter using the typed version if you’d like, or by accessing alt text for the images.

Typed Version – R’s letter Download

Handwritten text that says: Dear Quaker Meeting House, My name is [name]. and I am a 4th year student at Carolina Friends School. We have been learning about some Quakers history to start the year. One thing we learned was they broke their promise with the native Americans and failed to protect them. Some (not all!) chose money over friendship and trust. This made me feel sad, questioning why did they do that? I feel confused why they would betray the Native Americans? Although Quakers' intention was to try to help, they actually hurt the Native American. But, Quakers were not all bad. At first they were kinds & caring to the Native Americans. I wish they would have continued being kind to the Native Americans instead. [Letter continued in next image]

Handwritten text that says: I would like to know more about what you are doing as Quakers to repair harm with the Native people. One idea I have is that Quakers should look for ways to share land. Are you paying attention to that concept at all in your meeting? I hope that you are paying attention to Native land. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sicerely, R.

Excerpt of S’s Letter

In their suggestions to Quakers, Friend S focused on consent and following the lead of Native people. You may read this excerpt using alt text if you’d like.

Excerpt of E’s letter

Below is an excerpt of the letter written by Friend E. You may read this except using alt text if you’d like.

Handwritten text that says:

We also learned that in the boarding schools, Native American children were forced to cut their hair and many kids passed away from disease and maltreatment. This made me feel like I wanted to stand up for Native Americans. It also made me feel sad.

Excerpt of J’s letter

Friend J focused on asking Native people what they wanted. You may read this excerpt using alt text if you’d like.

Handwritten text that says: I wish they would have asked what the Natives needed instead. I would like to know more about what your doing as Quakers to fix harm with Natives. One idea I have is that Quakers should apologize and try to make the reservation bigger. What have you already done? Have you done any of these things?

Additional resources:

Thanks for reading! To learn more about steps that Quakers are taking toward repair, visit Toward Right Relationship with Native Peoples. Toward Right Relationship is affiliated with Friends Peace Teams. Their goal is to build relationships based on truth, respect, and shared humanity.

To learn about Quakers offering reparations to Native people, read this Friends Journal article by Alaska Friends.

Learning Our True History: Reparations Made by Alaska Friends

Carolina Friends School is a member of Friends Council on Education. It offers education for young people from Pre-K to Grade 12.

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