Establishment of the Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument

This proclamation designates approximately 24.5 acres at the former Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania as the Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument under the Antiquities Act. It transfers administrative jurisdiction of the School Road Gateposts to the National Park Service while the Army retains control of remaining lands, mandates a management plan within 3 years with Tribal co-stewardship, and permanently withdraws monument lands from development or disposition.

Federal Register Open PDF 89 FR 100289

Impact dates

Dec 9, 2027
NPS management plan due incorporating Tribal views and expertise

Key directives

Establish Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument on approximately 24.5 acres
Transfer administrative jurisdiction of School Road Gateposts (258 sq ft) from Army to NPS
Secretary of Interior and Secretary of Army shall manage monument cooperatively through NPS and Army respectively
NPS shall administer School Road Gateposts portion; Army administers remainder
NPS responsible for interpretation and education for entirety of monument in consultation with Army
NPS shall prepare management plan within 3 years incorporating Tribal views, knowledge, and expertise
Management plan must preserve historic resources, interpret Carlisle School significance, and commemorate Tribal resilience
Secretary of Interior through NPS shall meaningfully engage Tribal Nations and Native Hawaiian Community in management plan development and ongoing management
NPS shall incorporate Indigenous Knowledge in management decisions consistent with Tribal concerns
NPS shall enter co-stewardship agreement with interested federally recognized Indian Tribes
NPS shall consult with any federally recognized Tribe with historical connections to Federal Indian boarding school system
NPS directed to seek agreements with other entities (Dickinson College, Cumberland County Historical Society, Phoenix Indian School, Haskell Indian Nations University, Stewart Indian School Cultural Center and Museum, Sheldon Jackson Museum, Fort Apache Heritage Foundation, Kamehameha Schools, and related NPS units) for interpretation and education

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

Monument establishment takes effect
Federal lands withdrawn from entry, sale, or disposition
School Road Gateposts transfer to NPS directed

Near term (90d)

NPS-Army cooperative management agreement to be detailed
NPS assumes interpretation and education responsibilities

Long term

Management plan due within 3 years
Tribal co-stewardship agreements to be negotiated
Ongoing Tribal consultation for interpretation

Risks & tensions

Army retains security and access control over active military installation, creating potential friction with public monument access goals
Co-management between NPS and Army requires inter-agency agreement with undefined timeline
Tribal co-stewardship agreements are discretionary ('interested' Tribes) rather than mandatory for all affected Tribes
Monument boundaries constrained within active military base may limit full historical interpretation
Ongoing disinterment program for children's remains continues separately from monument management