Controversial Search Engines Do Not Reveal U.S. Interior's Failure to Report on Thousands of Boarding School Deaths
By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, January 30, 2025
The controversial new search platforms owned by a Chinese company, DeepSeek, and U.S. billionaires, ChatGPT, did not respond accurately to the question of the U.S. Interior's failed report on the number of deaths of Native children in U.S. boarding schools.
The Washington Post revealed the Interior did not report thousands of children's deaths in U.S. boarding schools. However, neither of the search platforms show this fact. The children died of starvation, infectious diseases, abuse and murder across the nation, Censored News shows in its detailed report.
The Washington Post documented that 3,104 students died at boarding schools between 1828 and 1970 -- three times as many deaths as reported by the U.S. Interior Department.
The responses of the new search platforms show that AI, artificial intelligence, search platforms are not complete, up-to-date and accurate.
In our series of questions, the Chinese-owned DeepSeek did confirm that the U.S. committed genocide in U.S. boarding schools. It also confirmed that Canada's residential school used electric shock chairs to punish children.
The U.S. owned rival, ChatGPT, denied the use of the electric chairs in Canada, and did not hold the U.S. responsible for genocide in U.S. boarding schools.
Overall, the Chinese-owned DeepSeek out-performed the U.S. platform, and provided more detailed information. Both lacked up-to-date information on vital cases -- including Standing Rock's resistance to Dakota Access Pipeline, Leonard Peltier's clemency, and the deaths of Native children in U.S. boarding schools.
The two responses to the Interior's failed report are below.
Did the U.S. Interior fail to report thousands of deaths of children in U.S. boarding schools, in the Interiors recent reportChina's Deep Seek, Thought for 30 seconds
Okay, so the user is asking whether the U.S. Interior Department failed to report thousands of children's deaths in boarding schools in their recent report. Let me start by recalling what I know about this topic.
First, I remember that in 2021, the Interior Department, under Secretary Deb Haaland, initiated an investigation into the federal Indian boarding school system. These schools were part of a policy to assimilate Indigenous children, often forcibly removing them from their families. The conditions were harsh, and there were many reports of abuse and deaths.
The initial report in 2022 identified over 500 student deaths, but it was mentioned that the number could increase as research continued. Now, the user is asking if the recent report didn't include thousands of deaths. Wait, but the initial report already acknowledged that the count was likely an underestimate. So maybe the user is referring to a follow-up report or a more recent update?
I need to check if there's a newer report beyond the 2022 one. Let me think. As of my last update in July 2024, the 2022 report was the most comprehensive one. It documented the 500+ deaths but also noted that many records were missing or destroyed, so the actual number could be in the thousands. The Department itself admitted that the figure was not exhaustive.
So, the user's question is about whether the Interior failed to report thousands. The answer would be that the report did acknowledge the likelihood of more deaths but only confirmed 500+. Therefore, it's not that they failed to report; rather, they reported the confirmed cases while recognizing the limitations. However, critics and Indigenous groups argue that the true number is much higher, possibly in the tens of thousands, based on historical records and oral histories. So the Interior's report might be seen as incomplete, but it's part of an ongoing effort.
I should also mention the reasons for the underreporting: poor record-keeping, destroyed documents, and the long time span (over a century). The Department plans to continue investigating, so future reports might have higher numbers. Also, the initiative includes efforts to protect burial sites and consult with tribes, which could uncover more deaths.
Wait, but the user specifically says "fail to report" – implying that they knew about thousands but didn't include them. However, according to the information I have, the Department's report was based on available records, which were incomplete. So they didn't intentionally withhold information but were limited by the data. Therefore, the answer should clarify that while the report didn't list thousands, it acknowledged the likelihood and the need for further research, rather than a failure to report known cases.
Also, it's important to mention the response from Indigenous communities and scholars who have long claimed higher numbers, stressing that the official count is too low. This context shows that the issue is part of a larger historical reckoning and truth-telling process.
I should structure the answer to first state that the initial report identified over 500 deaths but recognized the potential for thousands more. Then explain the reasons for the gap, mention the criticism from Indigenous groups, and note that the Department's report is part of an ongoing investigation. Emphasize that it's not a failure to report known cases but rather an acknowledgment of the limitations in current data.
The U.S. Department of the Interior's 2022 investigative report on federal Indian boarding schools documented over 500 deaths of Indigenous children at these institutions but explicitly acknowledged that this number is likely a significant underestimate. The report emphasized that the actual death toll could reach into the thousands or tens of thousands, as many records were destroyed, lost, or never properly maintained. This systemic erasure of data, combined with the century-long operation of these schools (from the 1800s to the 1960s), makes full accounting challenging.
Key Points:
Report Limitations: The Interior Department openly stated that the 500+ confirmed deaths represent only a partial tally. Investigations are ongoing, with plans to expand research into church-run and state-operated institutions not initially covered.
Criticism from Indigenous Communities: Tribal nations, scholars, and survivors have long argued that the true scale of deaths is far higher, citing oral histories, burial sites, and fragmented archival evidence. Some estimates suggest tens of thousands of children may have died due to abuse, neglect, disease, and malnutrition.
Structural Barriers: The report highlighted deliberate policies of assimilation, forced family separation, and inadequate federal oversight, which contributed to the deaths and obscured accountability.
Ongoing Efforts: The Interior Department has committed to further investigation, including ground-penetrating radar surveys at former school sites and consultations with tribes to identify unmarked graves.
Conclusion:
The report did not "fail to report" known deaths but rather underscored the incomplete historical record and the need for continued research. It marks a first step in a broader truth-telling process, with Indigenous advocates pushing for greater transparency and reparative justice. The gap between documented and estimated deaths reflects systemic injustices, not an intentional omission by the Interior in its initial findings.
Did the U.S. Interior fail to report thousands of deaths of children in U.S. boarding schools, in the Interior's recent report
ChatGPT said:
Yes, the U.S. Department of the Interior's report on the investigation into the legacy of Native American boarding schools has raised concerns about the failure to fully account for thousands of deaths of Indigenous children. The report, released in May 2022, documented the troubling history of these schools, where children were often forcibly taken from their families, subjected to harsh conditions, and denied their cultural identities.
However, the report acknowledged that there was limited documentation of the number of deaths at these institutions, and some families and advocates have pointed out that the Interior’s findings might underreport the full scope of the tragedy. The report did state that many records were lost, destroyed, or not accurately maintained, which makes it difficult to fully quantify the deaths. Some advocates believe that the actual number of children who died in these schools is much higher than the Interior's estimate of over 500 children, as many deaths were never recorded or were covered up.
The Interior's investigation and subsequent reports are part of a broader reckoning with the legacy of these schools, many of which operated under the federal government's policies aimed at assimilating Indigenous children into Euro-American culture.
Previously at Censored News
Leonard Peltier's Conviction: Rival Chinese and U.S. owned search platforms respond differently, and major flaw in AI is revealed.
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/01/leonard-peltiers-conviction-chinese-and.html
Rival Chinese and U.S. search platforms respond to controversial questions from Indian country
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/01/rival-chinese-and-us-companies-respond.html
China's DeepSeek confirms U.S. boarding schools were genocide, U.S. rival isn't sure
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/01/chinas-deepseek-confirms-us-boarding.html
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