Lecture on American Indian Boarding Schools

Introduction

• American Indians and the American government have a complex history involving boarding schools.
• Legacy of Boarding Schools: Operated for over 130 years; designed to assimilate Indian children into mainstream American culture.
• Many Native Americans have negative memories of these schools due to cultural erasure and abuse.

Historical Context

• Initiation: Began in the late 1870s during the US-Indian wars.
• Founder: Richard Pratt, an army officer, established the first school based on a program from an Indian prison.
• Philosophy: "Kill the Indian in him, and save the man."

Personal Accounts and Experiences

• Floyd Redcrow Westerman: Recalled the emotional trauma of leaving his reservation.
• Bill Wright: Experienced harsh conditions and cultural suppression at the steuart Indian School.
  • Forbidden from expressing his culture and lost his native language.
• Lucy Toledo: Attended Sherman Institute; faced unsettling portrayals of Indians in school movies.
• Abuse Reports: Students were often beaten, malnourished, and used for labor.

Government Strategy and Impact

• Objective: Erase Indian culture as part of a strategy to conquer Indian nations.
  • Targeted recently hostile nations and leaders' children to pacify communities.
• Educational Focus: Limited to trades and basic English, not comprehensive education.

Contemporary Reflections

• Negative Legacy: Former students may have unknowingly perpetuated strict discipline in families.
• Diverse Experiences: Some positive memories; lifelong friendships and marriages.
• Government Reports: Criticisms led to the closure of many boarding schools.

Current Situation

• Sherman Indian High School: One of the few remaining; supports native activities.
  • Students like Herel Martinez find a sense of belonging.
• Funding Issues: Federal budget changes threaten the existence of off-reservation boarding schools.

Conclusion

• The history of American Indian boarding schools is marked by efforts at cultural assimilation and numerous reports of abuse.
• Current debate revolves around maintaining the remaining schools amidst budget cuts.