Boarding school system

Definition

The boarding school system refers to a network of educational institutions established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries aimed at assimilating Native American children into Euro-American culture. These schools were often run by religious organizations and the federal government, focusing on Christianization, English language instruction, and the erasure of Indigenous identities and cultural practices. The system was part of a broader effort to integrate Native Americans into mainstream American society, often against their will.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The boarding school system was rooted in the belief that Native American cultures were inferior and needed to be replaced with Euro-American values and practices.
2. Students at boarding schools were often prohibited from speaking their native languages, practicing their traditions, or maintaining connections with their families.
3. Many boarding schools operated under harsh conditions, with reports of neglect, abuse, and strict discipline affecting the mental and physical well-being of students.
4. The long-term impact of the boarding school system led to generational trauma among Indigenous communities, contributing to ongoing social issues.
5. Despite efforts to erase Native American identities, many students resisted assimilation and found ways to maintain aspects of their cultures and identities.

Review Questions

• How did the boarding school system aim to reshape the identities of Native American children during its operation?
  • The boarding school system aimed to reshape Native American identities by enforcing strict rules that required children to abandon their cultural practices and languages. By emphasizing Christian teachings and Euro-American educational methods, these schools sought to create a generation of assimilated individuals who conformed to Western ideals. The harsh environments and prohibitive policies were designed to erase Indigenous identities, leading many children to internalize feelings of shame regarding their heritage.
• Discuss the implications of the boarding school system on family structures within Indigenous communities.
  • The boarding school system had devastating implications for family structures within Indigenous communities as it forcibly removed children from their families for extended periods. This separation disrupted traditional familial bonds and prevented parents from passing down cultural knowledge and practices. The lack of communication with families also created feelings of isolation and loss among students, further weakening the ties that held communities together and contributing to a breakdown in cultural transmission.
• Evaluate how the legacy of the boarding school system continues to affect contemporary Indigenous communities in America.
  • The legacy of the boarding school system continues to impact contemporary Indigenous communities through lasting effects such as generational trauma, loss of language, and cultural disconnection. Many Indigenous individuals still grapple with the emotional scars left by these experiences, affecting their mental health and community cohesion. Efforts are being made today to reclaim languages and traditions that were suppressed in these institutions, indicating a movement toward healing and restoration as Indigenous peoples work to revitalize their cultural identities in a modern context.

Related terms

Indian Removal Act: A law passed in 1830 that authorized the forced relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands to designated territories west of the Mississippi River.

Cultural assimilation: The process by which individuals or groups from one culture adopt the customs, values, and behaviors of another culture, often resulting in the loss of their original cultural identity.

Carlisle Indian Industrial School: One of the first and most notable boarding schools for Native Americans, founded in 1879 in Pennsylvania, that became a model for similar institutions across the country.