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Indian Boarding School Research Paper

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Americanization and Indian Boarding School The history of Native Americans was full of violent, cheats and sadness. From Spanish conquerors, English settlers to U. S Government, Native Americans lost their battles against these parties with greater power. As a result, their home lands, people and culture were consistently threatened by different societies. By the middle of the 19th century, most Native Americans were forced to live in the Indian Reservations, where harsh life continually facing challenges. In 1879, President Rutherford insisted a more aggressive posture in acculturates Indians into Mainstream of American society. The government was given a more sincere role to change Native Americans lifestyle, and obligated to educate and …show more content…

Different dress, food and confined living environment created a huge amount of stress, which those little boys and girls carried with them. There may have been some good intentions associated with the Boarding school program, but the process and the end results were completed opposite with those good intentions. The idea of exterminating a culture and transform it into another is a false concept to begin with. “I am a red man. If the Great Spirit had desired me to be a white man he would have made me so in the first place. He put in your heart wishes and plans, in my heart he put other and different desires. Each man is good in his sight. It is not necessary for Eagles to be Crows.”(Sitting Bull) This famous quote from the legendary Native American leader Sitting Bull conveyed Native people’s criticism towards the Boarding school and Americanization. Sitting Bull was a holy man and chief of his people, well-known by his bravery in battle and bright insight in leadership. Never afraid to persist his belief, Chief Sitting Bull was a forerunner during years of resistance to the U.S government policies. (Eastman) His powerful influence to his tribe and great knowledge led to his spiritual legacy remaining in the history of Native Americans. Unfortunately, the U.S government wasn’t perceptive enough to understand Chief Sitting Bull’s …show more content…

However, it had little to no effect on change Native Americans society, because “Kill the Indian, save the man” was an unjustified concept to begin with. Therefore, the real Americanization is to enlighten ourselves, instead of assimilation, be perceptive to accept different culture and its people. Let eagles be eagles and crows be crows, let’s not worry about lion becomes ox or ox becomes lion, because everything has its function in this

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The boarding school was unable to beat the savage out of her. There may have been good intentions with the idea of assimilation. When one is forced into something, it does not work. Assimilation required that they leave their heritage, and adapt. Adaptation in such an environment leaves out the facts of biology and nature.

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The Sioux from the Cheyenne and Arapaho were captivated by Sitting Bull’s aversion towards reservation life and treaties. Sitting Bull was indeed a contribution within the Native Americans. Without him, George A. Custer wouldn’t have conquered, and the tribes would most likely be adrift with all of the occurring conflicts. He was dauntless to endure the United States government policies, and to participate in the tribal wars.

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In protecting them I have a hard time.” This is a song Sitting Bull wrote a few months before his death. Just like he said, Sitting Bull did everything he could to protect his tribe and his people. He was a unique leader who should be respected. He was remembered because of his courage, generosity, and his determination to protect his nation and his

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The cartoon works to portray the effects of the government boarding school for Native Americans in a positive way to show that the schools are effective in “civilizing” Native Americans. Additionally, the cartoon attempts to show that the Native Americans want to go to boarding schools and are happy to assimilate into white culture, clothes, gender roles, etc. The creation of board schools was a result of the ideology that white society was superior to the Native American way of life. Although white people agreed that the Native Americans had been treated unfairly in the past, they believed they were doing Native Americans a great service by forcing them into boarding schools, taking away their culture and traditions, and forcing them to assimilate.

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In 1887 Native Americans were seen as uncivilized in the United States and were prevented from acquiring the benefits of American life. So in an attempt to educate and assimilate the Native American children into the American society, boarding schools were established. However, as time went on these Indian Boarding schools became so much about helping the children adapt to the American culture that they were beaten and punished if they showed any signs of their old tribal life. This idea of abolishing the outward and inward signs of tribal life within the Native American children expresses Pratt’s statement “Kill the Indian…save the man.”

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Indian Boarding schools were created in the 1800s to “Kill the Indian, Save the Man.” They achieved this by transforming the natives looks, culture, language, and teaching them a certain way so they would be able to function in a “european society”. Indian boarding schools taught students both academic and “real world” skills, but they did so while ripping the indians from their culture. Most indian boarding schools were the same with their tactics in transforming the native man into a white one.

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Anglo-Americans viewed the boarding schools as one of the fastest ways they are able to assimilate the Native Americans into society. A large part of the curriculum was to teach the Native youth that their ancestors were savage peoples which would often create confusion and a mindset that the youth has ‘progressed’ that time of uncivilization. By taking away any notion of Native American culture was how the Anglo-Americans socialized the youth believing that Native heritage is not normal and Western culture was. As I mentioned a while ago, these kids wore gender distinct uniforms, a male’s hair was cut short and female’s hair was tied, taught Christianity, and ate the same foods as the Anglo-Americans did. While many younger children, I’m assuming, would view attending boarding schools as a ‘new adventure’ or ‘change’, there are many older children who despised the thought of attending.

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Sitting Bull was considered a great leader and helped shape the way we treat Indians today. Throughout the 1800s the U.S. Government fought against many Indian tribes because of the rich land that promised gold. Sitting Bull and many others “set aside their differences in the face of intolerable abuse by the U.S. Government” (www.californiaindianeducation.org). Sitting Bull fought in wars and united with other tribes to protect his land.

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Choosing Home I had chosen Sitting Bull’s speech he gave for he was honest and true in every word he spoke that is why it is a short speech he went straight to the main ideas. In Sitting Bull’s speech, “The life my people want is a life of freedom” he explains why he and his people wish to live freely. Bull also explains his beliefs as a Native American from the Sioux nation he believed that he was put here on earth for a reason. Bull’s speech compares his people to those of white color. He expresses the unfairness to be told to live on a reservation “The life of a white men is slavery” (Bull 169).

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