OWYHEE COUNTY, Id. — After 126 years a Shoshone girl is back home with her Tribe.
It was back in December of 1900 when then 17-year-old Della Tuscarora Atkins arrived at the Carlisle Indian Industrial Boarding School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Less than two weeks later on Christmas Day, Della died, reportedly from brain cancer.
She would later be buried in Carlisle, but notice to her family was lost due to a spelling error in Della's name.
More than a century later, on September 17, 2026, Della's remains were repatriated to the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes at the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, with help from the U.S. Army who provided a uniformed escort.
Della's family issued the statement below following her journey home.
“We recognize that this is the first time ever that we have a relative’s remains coming home from an Indian Boarding School. For 126 years Della was buried thousands of miles away from her family, her people, and her homeland. This opportunity is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event to rectify that error and bring Della back to where Creator originally intended her to be, at home. While this whole situation has been difficult to process, through our prayers and community, we are seeing this as a time of celebration and joy. Celebration and joy in the sense that a relative is coming home. In fact when she was arriving, dust devils began to form out west and we consider them to be our ancestors dancing. We thank everyone who has had a contributing role in ensuring we fully understood every detail and answered every question we asked. We are grateful for the community support and for the guidance of our spiritual leaders. We never expected to be a part of such a movement but through it all, we realize that we all are tied into reconciliation and the healing of this great trauma. Bringing Della home is just the start for us here.”
Between 1879 and 1918 — over 7,800 students ranging in age from 6 to 25 attended the school where Della died.
It's believed more than 190 of them are buried at the site as reconciliation efforts continue.
