GENOA, NEBRASKA — The Genoa U.S. Indian School Foundation will host its 36th Annual Recognition and Remembrance Day on Saturday, 26 September 2026, bringing together former students, descendants, tribal communities, historians, educators, residents, and visitors for a day dedicated to remembering and honoring the children who attended the Genoa U.S. Indian School.
The event will take place from 10 AM to 4 PM at the St. Rose of Lima Community Center and the Genoa U.S. Indian School site. The annual gathering offers an opportunity to learn about the school’s history, recognize students’ experiences, and celebrate the connections that continue to bring families and communities together.
The Genoa U.S. Indian School operated from 1884 until 1934 and was one of the federal government’s largest and longest running off-reservation Indian boarding schools. Today, the former school site serves as an important place for education, historical research, and remembrance
The day’s activities begin at 10 AM with a Welcome and Opening Ceremony and building blessing from William St. Cyr of the Omaha and Winnebago Tribes of Nebraska, followed at 10:45 AM by a presentation from Jill Hanson titled “Frank Hamilton: From Hampton Normal to Genoa, A Boarding School Life Cut Short.” The presentation will offer an opportunity to learn more about Frank Hamilton, a former student who passed away at school.
At 1 PM, the Memorial Presentation will provide a special time for reflection and remembrance. We will honor those who passed away since the last Recognition and Remembrance Day and pay special memorial to those students who died at the school and those buried in the cemetery.
Following the memorial, at 1:15 PM, the Foundation will hold its Scholarship Presentation and Former Winners’ Panel, featuring former scholarship recipients Aaron LaPointe, Alexis Zendejas and Kateri Hinman Petto. The panel is intended to be more than a discussion about academic accomplishments. It allows current students, families, and visitors to hear directly from people who once stood where today’s scholarship applicants stand and to learn how their connection to the Genoa Indian School’s history has continued into adulthood.
Aaron LaPointe has become a respected leader in the Winnebago community. He serves in senior leadership with Ho-Chunk, Inc., where his work has included tribal agriculture and economic development. LaPointe has been involved in efforts to reclaim tribal farmland, strengthen food sovereignty, promote traditional Indian corn and encourage Native youth to consider careers in agriculture. He has also served on the Nebraska Farm Service Agency State Committee and has been recognized nationally for his leadership and community contributions.
Dr. Kateri Hinman Petto has also built a career centered around community, culture and service. Of the Omaha, Winnebago and Seneca Tribes, Petto is a Clinical Pharmacist as well as board president of Healing Ribbons. This Indigenous organization promotes cultural identity, healing and wellness through gathering, traditional arts, storytelling and community connection. Her work reflects the importance of preserving cultural knowledge and creating opportunities for Indigenous people to connect with their heritage.
Alexis Zendejas’ career reflects the importance of service and advocacy. A member of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, Zendejas earned her law degree from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law in 2019. Her legal career has included work in Tribal and Federal Indian Law, family and juvenile law, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), and Tribal-State-Federal relations. Her commitment to tribal families and children has been evident throughout her legal career. Zendejas has represented the Omaha Tribe in Indian Child Welfare Act proceedings, including a case that reached the Iowa Supreme Court, where she argued for the Tribe.
Food and fellowship will once again be an important part of Recognition and Remembrance Day. From 11:30 AM to 1 PM, Indian tacos made by Rez Eats and served by Twin River FCCLA will be available. Indian tacos are free for honored guests and $10 for all others. The meal provides another opportunity for former students, descendants, visitors, and community members to gather, share stories, and enjoy time together during the day’s activities. The event will conclude with an Ice Cream Social at 3 PM.
Throughout the day, visitors can participate in guided tours of the Interpretive Center and Research Center, visit Native vendor booths, and view entries in the Student Art Contest. The Student Art Contest features artwork created by current students and inspired by the Genoa Indian School and its former students. The contest gives young people an opportunity to explore local history and express what they have learned through art.
The Research Center also provides an important resource for descendants and families interested in learning more about relatives who attended the school. Preserving records, photographs, and stories helps ensure that the lives of the students who attended Genoa are remembered for generations to come.
Recognition and Remembrance Day is more than an annual historical program. It is a day to remember the children who attended the Genoa U.S. Indian School and to recognize the families and communities whose histories remain connected to the school. The event also gives people unfamiliar with the history of the Genoa Indian School an opportunity to learn about the institution and its former students. By bringing descendants, former students, educators, historians, tribal communities, and the public together, the Genoa U.S. Indian School Foundation continues to create a place where people can remember, discuss, and pass on history to future generations.
The Genoa U.S. Indian School Foundation invites everyone to attend the 36th Annual Recognition and Remembrance Day on 26 September. Whether you attend to honor a family member, learn more about the Genoa Indian School, support the Foundation, participate in educational activities, or spend the day with the community, visitors are welcome. The stories of the children who attended the Genoa U.S. Indian School are an important part of Nebraska history and the history of many Native families and nations. Recognition and Remembrance Day helps keep those stories alive while honoring the people whose lives are forever connected to Genoa.
The 36th annual Genoa U.S. Indian School Foundation Recognition and Remembrance Day is sponsored by the Genoa U.S. Indian School Foundation, and is funded in part by a grant from Humanities Nebraska. Humanities Nebraska is a private nonprofit with a mission to help people explore what connects us and makes us human. HN is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, an appropriation from the Nebraska Legislature, private donations, and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, a public-private partnership with state dollars matching private dollars to benefit the arts and humanities in Nebraska.