Unseen Tears: A Documentary on Boarding School Survivors Native
American families in Western New York continue to feel the
impact of Thomas Indian School and Mohawk Institute, also known
as the Mush Hole, — Native American boarding schools where
“savage-born” children were, in the words of Richard Henry
Pratt, trained in “civilized language and habit”. “Unseen
Tears”, a documentary produced by Native American Community
Services, features boarding school survivors, who talk openly
about the tragic separation from their families, abuse, and a
systematic assault on their language and culture: "We had all
our hair cut off, we were made bald,” - says Sally General, a
Mohawk Institute survivor. “Kids on the reservation used to call
us Mush Hole baldies.” "When we used our language, they would
wash our mouths with soap. They would throw us into a cold
shower and beat us along the way,” notes Elliot Tallchief, who
was sent to Thomas Indian School when he was five years old. The
documentary also highlights the efforts