Stories From the Silver State: Roger Sam and the Stewart Indian School Oral History Project

Stewart Indian School Oral History Project

Stewart Indian School opened in 1890 three miles southeast of Carson City, Nevada and was operated by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs until it closed in 1980. The school was initially created to forcibly assimilate and educate children from Nevada's Great Basin tribes—Washoe (Waší:šiw), Northern and Southern Paiute (Numu and Nuwuvi), and Western Shoshone (Newe). The school grew to include over 200 tribes from other western states. Over the years, attendance became voluntary and students chose Stewart as a place to learn among their own community members.  

In 2015 the Nevada 150 Foundation awarded the Nevada Indian Commission a $20,000 grant to fund an oral history project about Stewart Indian School. Eight listening sessions were conducted in tribal communities in Battle Mountain, Nevada; Schurz, Nevada; Peach Springs, Arizona; Moapa, Nevada; Ibapah, Utah; and Fort McDowell, Arizona. In total, fifteen individuals were interviewed. Participants told stories of attending or working at Stewart from the 1940s through the 1970s.  

This blog will be highlighting three of the oral history participants: JoAnn Nevers, Roger Sam, and Thomas D. Benjamin. Their oral histories give a glimpse into the lives of indigenous people who were part of the Stewart Indian School community. Last week we featured JoAnn Nevers and this week we are highlighting Roger Sam.

Roger Sam

Roger Sam was a Northern Paiute man from the Pyramid Lake area. He first started attending Stewart Indian School in 1943 when he was fourteen years old. After graduating from Stewart, Mr. Sam joined the U.S. Navy and served from 1948 to 1952. He then returned to Stewart Indian School as an employee where he worked until the school’s closure in 1980. Mr. Sam supervised the school’s working ranch, Jack’s Valley Ranch, where he trained students in agricultural skills. He also assisted in coaching football and basketball at Stewart and boxing in Carson City. Mr. Sam was also involved in mentoring regional 4-H clubs. In 1974, Mr. Sam was inducted into the Stewart Hall of Fame for excellence in basketball and football.

In his oral history, Mr. Sam describes his experience as both a student and an employee at Stewart Indian School. He had good memories of Stewart and shares stories about his athletic and agricultural pursuits at the school. 

Roger Sam's Oral History Interview

Audio Recording

Listen to the audio recording of Roger Sam's oral history interview:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Recording courtesy of Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum.

Transcript

Read the transcript of Roger Sam's oral history interview.

You can access transcripts of all the Stewart Indian School Oral History Project interviews at the Nevada State Archives or the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum. You can access audio recordings of all the Stewart Indian School Oral History Project interviews at the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum.

The Stories From the Silver State exhibit is open to the public Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Nevada State Archives. 

To learn more about the national and state America250 storytelling initiatives or to contribute your own story, see:

Funding provided by the National Historical Publications & Records Commission.