A dark history of abuse

"I was in boarding school and I was told I wouldn't make a good mother … In boarding school you're not a person. You're not even a human being."

Nearly 1,000 children died in a system of Indian boarding schools that operated until the 1970s, a groundbreaking federal government report has concluded.

Why it matters: NPR reports the three-year investigation marks the first time the federal government formally accepted responsibility for its role in creating the system.

Catch up quick: The schools ripped Native American children from their families. While enrolled, many endured physical and emotional abuse.

• "The purpose of federal Indian boarding schools was to culturally assimilate" these children, investigators wrote.

Zoom in: Minnesota was home to 20 of these schools, mostly in the northern and western parts of the state.

Go deeper: Full story from NPR