This play tells the real story of a 12-year-old Squaxin girl Joyce Simmons, who was taken away by the American government to attend the Tulalip Indian School near Marysville, Washington. Set at the beginning of the 20^th Century, this drama recounts the plight many American Indian families had to face during that time. Schools such as the Tulalip Training School had one motto, and that was "to kill the Indian and safe the man." In other words, all Native children were to be stripped of their heritage and adopt the dominant culture’s way of life. Those who disobeyed were subjected to physical punishment and torture.

    Before Joyce died in 1974, she recounted her story to her friend Werdna Phillips Finley, who recorded and later transcribed Simmon's narrative into a 270-page manuscript. This manuscript formed the basis for the production's research, as traditionally, Simmon's native language—Lushootseed—was never written down. With the help of Joyce's son Cecil Cheeka, the Seattle Children's Theatre sought out many Native elders of the Puget Sound area, and consulted them on their experiences during the Indian School days. From the rare photographs they possessed and their heart wrenching oral histories, designs for this play were produced. Historical accuracy was of utmost importance for the design team and huge efforts were made to ensure that the costumes were true to Native culture.