08/22/2026
Have you heard of the Dozier School? In Grand Junction, we have our own dark institution still standing - and we don’t even know where the graveyard is, or how many children’s bodies are there.
It’s called the Teller Institute - Western Colorado’s old Indian School for the Utes, near Las Colonias & the Veterans Cemetery. Read on for the brief history, and the mystery
After America won the Indian war in the late 1800s, for a couple generations, all Ute children were taken to live at & educated to be American at Indian schools. The Teller institute in GJ, CO is the one for this whole area between Denver & SLC - so it’s a major one. It still stands today, on Riverfront pkwy.
Shockingly, we don’t know how many children died under the care of the Teller Institute - or even where those bodies ended up.
When a child there would die, they’d be buried on school grounds. Back in the 1800s/1900s, it wasnt really possible to ship a body back to thier people.
A few years back, a CMU professor started the process of trying to find how many children’s graves are on the Teller Institute grounds - currently the GJ Regional Center - located at 2800 Riverside Parkway. They couldn’t even find the graveyard, using drones with LiDAR. How is it possible or even legal that a school loses track of many children’s bodies? And has gotten away with it so far?
The video linked below on the Dozier School for Boys tells the story of a similar institution, whose dark secrets have been brought into the light by the hard work of dedicated people. It also talks about how they found every single grave on the premises. There were a lot more than the state was claiming.
This same thing could be done at the Teller Institute here in GJ. And I think it SHOULD BE done. It does take time, money, effort, & making it a priority. But I think it’s worth finding out what really went on at the Teller Institute, finally.
Personally, I believe our local, state government & those in power have the obligation to find these missing children’s bodies, which have been “lost” out of pure neglect to keep basic records - or else there must be something shadier afoot.
https://youtu.be/Afxr07TQVo0?is=5xdU2sh-Gntr0aVD
Link to local news on the Teller Institute & the attempt to locate the graveyard
https://www.kjct8.com/2024/08/04/searching-grand-junction-indian-boarding-school-cemetery-clone/
History Colorado Mesa County News Mesa County Coroner’s Office Mesa County Historical Society Mesa County Mesa County Sheriff's Office Denver Public Library Aurora Public Library - Colorado Colorado Mesa University
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