In 1948 Bushnell Hospital in Brigham City, Utah was transformed into what would become the Intermountain Indian School, or, the "world's largest boarding school." The school opened its doors in January 1950 to five hundred Navajo students. Educational goals were to teach English and basic academic disciplines as well as vocational skills which, it was believed, would facilitate assimilation into mainstream America.

Renamed the Intermountain Inter-Tribal School in fall 1974, the school enrolled students from twenty-six other tribes. Tensions ran high and in February of 1975 rioting erupted. During the riot, students injured three officers and destroyed several police cars. After this incident, enrollment fell and the stability of the school was called into question. Moreover, the federal government reversed previous rulings regarding assimilation. The Intermountain School closed its doors on May 17, 1984.