Native American Studies
🌽native american studies review
10.2 Daily life and experiences in boarding schools
Last Updated on August 9, 2024
Boarding schools aimed to erase Native American culture through strict discipline and assimilation tactics. Students faced military-style regimens, abuse, and cultural suppression. English-only policies and vocational training replaced traditional practices, while uniforms erased cultural identities.
The personal impact on students was severe. Forcibly separated from families, many experienced trauma and cultural identity loss. This led to long-term consequences for individuals and communities, including intergenerational trauma and communication gaps between generations.
Oppressive Environment
Military-Style Discipline and Regimentation
Top images from around the web for Military-Style Discipline and Regimentation
Documenting the Painful Past of Indian Boarding Schools View original
Is this image relevant?
Fichier:R.C. Indian Residential School Study Time, Fort Resolution, N.W.T.JPG — Wikipédia View original
Is this image relevant?
Documenting the Painful Past of Indian Boarding Schools View original
Is this image relevant?
Fichier:R.C. Indian Residential School Study Time, Fort Resolution, N.W.T.JPG — Wikipédia View original
Is this image relevant?
1 of 2
Top images from around the web for Military-Style Discipline and Regimentation
Documenting the Painful Past of Indian Boarding Schools View original
Is this image relevant?
Fichier:R.C. Indian Residential School Study Time, Fort Resolution, N.W.T.JPG — Wikipédia View original
Is this image relevant?
Documenting the Painful Past of Indian Boarding Schools View original
Is this image relevant?
Fichier:R.C. Indian Residential School Study Time, Fort Resolution, N.W.T.JPG — Wikipédia View original
Is this image relevant?
1 of 2
- Strict daily schedules governed every aspect of students' lives
- Students marched between activities in formation
- Punishments enforced for minor infractions (tardiness, speaking Native languages)
- Military-inspired hierarchies established among students
- Regimentation aimed to instill obedience and conformity
- Boarding schools modeled after military academies to break tribal bonds
Abuse and Control Mechanisms
- Physical abuse included beatings, withholding food, and solitary confinement
- Emotional abuse involved public humiliation and degrading language
- Sexual abuse cases reported at multiple institutions
- Uniform dress codes erased cultural identities
- Traditional clothing and hairstyles prohibited
- Identical European-style uniforms issued to all students
- Control extended to personal hygiene and appearance
Assimilation Tactics
Language and Cultural Suppression
- English-only policies strictly enforced in all aspects of school life
- Speaking Native languages resulted in severe punishments
- Traditional names replaced with English ones
- Native religious practices and spiritual beliefs forbidden
- Cultural ceremonies and traditions prohibited on school grounds
- Students taught to view their heritage as primitive and uncivilized
Vocational Training and Labor Exploitation
- Curriculum focused on manual labor and domestic skills
- Boys trained in farming, carpentry, and blacksmithing
- Girls taught cooking, sewing, and housekeeping
- Academic education often limited or substandard
- Students required to perform extensive unpaid labor for the school
- Work programs sometimes extended to local communities, providing cheap labor
Personal Impact
Family Separation and Emotional Trauma
- Children forcibly removed from families, often at young ages
- Limited or no contact with parents and siblings for extended periods
- Emotional bonds with family members weakened or severed
- Trauma of separation led to lifelong psychological effects
- Many students experienced feelings of abandonment and isolation
- Reuniting with families often difficult due to cultural and linguistic barriers
Cultural Identity Loss and Long-Term Consequences
- Traditional knowledge and practices not passed down to younger generations
- Students struggled to fit in both Native and non-Native societies after leaving school
- Loss of language created communication gaps between generations
- Many graduates experienced identity crises and cultural confusion
- Intergenerational trauma impacted Native communities for decades
- Some students internalized negative views of their own culture and heritage
Key Terms to Review (18)
Loss of language: Loss of language refers to the decline or extinction of a language, often due to cultural assimilation or suppression, which can lead to the disappearance of a community's unique identity and heritage. This phenomenon is especially evident in contexts where dominant cultures impose their languages on minority groups, such as in boarding schools where Indigenous children were forced to abandon their native languages. The loss of language significantly impacts cultural continuity and the transmission of traditional knowledge.
Vocational training: Vocational training is a form of education that focuses on equipping individuals with specific skills and knowledge required for particular trades or occupations. This type of training often emphasizes practical, hands-on experience and prepares students for careers in fields such as healthcare, construction, and technology. Within the context of boarding schools, vocational training was used to assimilate Native American students into Euro-American culture by teaching them skills deemed necessary for survival in mainstream society.
Cultural ptsd: Cultural PTSD refers to the collective psychological trauma experienced by a group due to historical injustices, such as colonization, genocide, and forced assimilation. This term connects deeply with the ongoing impacts of trauma on Native American communities, particularly as they relate to experiences in institutions like boarding schools that aimed to erase indigenous cultures and identities.
American Indian Education Act: The American Indian Education Act was a significant piece of legislation passed in 1972 aimed at improving educational opportunities and addressing the unique needs of Native American students in the United States. This act sought to provide federal funding for programs that support the educational success of American Indian children, recognizing the historical injustices faced by Indigenous communities, particularly in relation to boarding schools that stripped away cultural identities.
Military-style discipline: Military-style discipline refers to a strict system of rules and expectations that emphasizes order, obedience, and control, often mimicking the structured and hierarchical nature of military training. This approach was employed in various settings, particularly in boarding schools, where the goal was to instill a sense of conformity and authority among students, often at the expense of their individual cultural identities and personal freedoms.
Identity formation: Identity formation refers to the process through which individuals develop a distinct sense of self, shaped by their experiences, beliefs, and cultural background. This ongoing process is influenced by social interactions, environment, and various life events, helping individuals define who they are within their communities. In specific contexts, such as educational institutions or systems that seek to assimilate individuals into a dominant culture, identity formation can be particularly complex and often involves negotiation between personal identity and imposed identities.
Clyde Warrior: Clyde Warrior was a prominent Native American activist and educator, known for his efforts to improve the educational experiences of Native students in boarding schools during the mid-20th century. His work highlighted the struggles and resilience of Indigenous youth subjected to assimilation policies, as he advocated for cultural awareness and reform within these institutions.
Indian Boarding School Era: The Indian Boarding School Era refers to the period from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century when Native American children were forcibly removed from their families and communities to attend government-sponsored boarding schools. These institutions aimed to assimilate Indigenous youth into Euro-American culture, often through harsh discipline and the suppression of their native languages and traditions, resulting in profound impacts on daily life and experiences of the students involved.
Cultural dislocation: Cultural dislocation refers to the profound sense of disconnection and disruption that individuals or groups experience when they are removed from their traditional cultural environments. This often leads to a loss of identity, belonging, and continuity, significantly impacting daily life and personal experiences. In situations such as boarding schools, where Indigenous children were forcibly taken from their families, this dislocation resulted in challenges related to adaptation and the preservation of cultural practices.
Forced assimilation: Forced assimilation is the process by which a dominant culture imposes its values, beliefs, and practices on a marginalized group, often resulting in the erasure of the latter's cultural identity. This often occurs through policies or practices that seek to integrate individuals into the dominant society, stripping them of their unique languages, customs, and social structures. Such efforts have historically manifested in various settings, including educational institutions and governmental policies aimed at Native American communities.
Cultural Erasure: Cultural erasure refers to the systematic elimination or suppression of a group’s cultural identity, practices, and beliefs, often resulting from colonialism, assimilation policies, or societal marginalization. This concept is crucial in understanding the historical and ongoing impacts on Indigenous populations, where their languages, traditions, and social structures have been undermined or entirely erased through various governmental policies and societal pressures.
Richard Henry Pratt: Richard Henry Pratt was a U.S. Army officer and educator known for founding the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in 1879. His work was instrumental in establishing the boarding school system aimed at assimilating Native American children into Euro-American culture, emphasizing education, vocational training, and the abandonment of Indigenous identities.
Dawes Act: The Dawes Act, enacted in 1887, aimed to assimilate Native Americans into American society by allotting them individual plots of land and granting U.S. citizenship. This act marked a significant shift in federal policy from recognizing tribal sovereignty to promoting individual land ownership, which ultimately led to the fragmentation of tribal lands and communities.
Intergenerational Trauma: Intergenerational trauma refers to the psychological and emotional harm that affects individuals and communities as a result of trauma experienced by previous generations. This type of trauma can manifest in various ways, influencing identity, cultural connections, mental health, and social structures within communities.
Self-determination: Self-determination refers to the right of individuals and communities, particularly Indigenous peoples, to freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social, and cultural development. This concept is pivotal for understanding the autonomy and governance of Native American tribes, connecting to their historical struggles and ongoing efforts for sovereignty and recognition.
Cultural Revitalization: Cultural revitalization refers to the process of reaffirming and renewing cultural identities, traditions, languages, and practices that have been suppressed or diminished, often due to colonization or external influences. This concept is crucial in understanding how Indigenous communities reclaim their heritage and promote their unique cultural expressions in the face of historical trauma and modern challenges.
Colonialism: Colonialism is the practice of acquiring control over a territory and its people, often through force, and exploiting them for economic gain. It involves the domination of one culture over another, leading to significant cultural, social, and political changes in the colonized societies. The impacts of colonialism have deeply influenced indigenous traditions, artistic expressions, and social structures.
Indian Civil Rights Act: The Indian Civil Rights Act, enacted in 1968, extends certain constitutional rights to individuals living on Native American reservations, granting them protections similar to those found in the Bill of Rights. This legislation aimed to address civil liberties violations and enhance the legal status of tribal members, while also navigating the complex balance between federal authority and tribal sovereignty.