Proud of her daughter’s Native American culture, Adriana Anger wanted her to learn the Anishinabe language. Anger enrolled her daughter in the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe’s Sasiwaans Immersion School, a facility for children ages 18 months to 5 years to learn their language and cultural heritage in order to help build self-esteem.
That went well until earlier this year, when Anger said harm came to her 2-year-old girl. Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police are investigating allegations of abuse at the school, including reports of children being slammed onto the ground, getting their hands slapped and being strapped in chairs for extended periods of time as a form of punishment.
Anger said an incident involving her daughter happened Dec. 8, and she was not made aware of the situation. When the school closed for Christmas break, Anger decided to not return her daughter until something was done.
