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Carlisle Indian School

Definition

The Carlisle Indian Industrial School was an American Indian boarding school in Pennsylvania that operated from 1879 to 1918. Its goal was to "Americanize" Native American children by removing them from their homes and teaching them Western ways.

Analogy

Imagine being taken away from your family and home, then sent to a school far away where you're taught how to act like someone else entirely - like being a cat forced to live and behave like a dog. That's what it was like for Native American children at the Carlisle Indian School.

Related terms

Richard Henry Pratt: An American general who is best known as the founder and superintendent of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. His philosophy focused on total assimilation of Native Americans into white society.

Indian Boarding Schools: These were established in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to educate Native American youths according to Euro-American standards. They were part of a government-sponsored attempt at assimilation.

Cultural Genocide: This term refers to the deliberate destruction of a group's culture, with an aim towards eliminating their identity. It can be seen in practices such as those carried out by schools like Carlisle Indian School.