Little Ones is a comedic opera set in 1984, the final year of the Intermountain Boarding School in Brigham City, Utah. Loosely based on the story of the composer’s mother and uncle, who attended the school, the story follows four students through their senior year of high school as they work in vain to keep the school open when the U.S. government decides to close it—at a time when tribal nations are finally able to take control over these schools.

We explore the transformation into womanhood, yearning for family, confusion about whether the residential school is good or bad, and tumultuous relationships with authority, friends, and lovers.

The opera examines the evolution of the slogan “Kill the Indian, Save the Child” into a more contemporary, ostensibly benevolent version: “Save the Indian, Save them from themselves.”

Little Ones serves as a tribute to the challenges young people faced during the final decade of the U.S. residential school era.

Little Ones paints a picture of the struggles of any person conflicted with their place in American society while preserving their individual identity, all within a world undergoing profound change.

We are actively seeking partners to support the next phases of this project and would value the chance to share where the work is headed.

Little Ones Opera

Support the development of Little Ones, an opera by Danielle Jagelski and Rhiana Yazzie