The Tragedy of the Native American Boarding Schools | William Kent Krueger

William Kent Krueger

15 Aug 201902:29

Summary

TLDRThe video script delves into the tragic history of Native American boarding schools, an initiative born from Richard Henry Pratt's misguided ideology of 'kill the Indian, save the man.' Children were forcibly assimilated, stripped of their cultural identity through harsh measures like kerosene baths, new names, and the prohibition of their native language and religion. The script highlights the lasting impact of this generational trauma, which continues to affect Native Americans today, and the lack of parental control until the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978.

Takeaways

🏫 The story begins at a Native American boarding school, symbolizing a horrific environment in American history.
📚 The boarding schools were part of a government-funded initiative aimed at assimilating Native American children into white society.
😢 The experience at these schools is described as a 'generational trauma' with lasting effects that are still felt today.
🧑‍🏫 Richard Henry Pratt is identified as the originator of the boarding school system with the slogan 'kill the Indian, save the man'.
👕 Upon arrival, children were stripped of their clothing and given uniforms, symbolizing the forced cultural change.
🛁 They were bathed in harsh substances like kerosene or lye soap to 'cleanse' them of their native identities.
🗣️ Native American children were forbidden from speaking their native language or practicing their religion, under threat of punishment.
💇‍♀️ The cutting of their hair, a sacred element in their culture, was another form of cultural erasure.
👶 The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 marked the end of a century-long period where Native American parents had no legal rights over their children.
🚶‍♂️ For a hundred years, Native American parents were helpless as their children were taken away to these boarding schools.
🤔 The script highlights a lack of understanding among white people about the extent of the control Native Americans had over their lives until recent history.

Q & A

Why did the author choose a Native American boarding school as the starting point for the story?
-The author chose a Native American boarding school to highlight the children's escape from a horrific environment that represents a tragic aspect of American history.
What is the term used to describe the long-lasting impact of the boarding school experience on Native Americans?
-The term used is 'generational trauma,' indicating that the effects of the boarding school experience continue to be felt through generations.
Who is Richard Henry Pratt, and what was his guiding ethos regarding the Native American boarding schools?
-Richard Henry Pratt is credited with the establishment of the boarding school system, with the misguided ethos of 'kill the Indian, save the man,' emphasizing the need to eradicate Native American culture to 'civilize' the individuals.
What was the process like for children upon arrival at the boarding schools?
-Upon arrival, children were stripped of their clothing, bathed in harsh substances like kerosene or lye soap, given uniforms, and often assigned new names that sounded more 'white' to assimilate them.
Why was hair significant in Native American culture, and how was it treated at the boarding schools?
-Hair was considered a sacred element in Native American culture, but at the boarding schools, children's long braids were forcibly cut off as part of the assimilation process.
What restrictions were placed on the use of the Native American language and religion at the boarding schools?
-Native American children were not allowed to speak their native language or practice their religion at the boarding schools, with severe punishments for those who defied these rules.
Why is there a lack of understanding among white people regarding the boarding school experience?
-The lack of understanding may stem from the historical and cultural disconnection, as well as the absence of this history in mainstream education and discourse.
What was the significance of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978?
-The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 was significant as it ended the government's authority to forcibly remove Native American children from their families, a practice that lasted for a hundred years.
How did the government's actions affect Native American parents during the boarding school era?
-Native American parents were left helpless, forced to watch as their children were taken away to government boarding schools without any legal recourse.
What is the broader implication of the boarding school experience on the perception of Native American rights and identity?
-The boarding school experience underscores a historical pattern of disregard for Native American rights and identity, highlighting the ongoing struggle for recognition and respect for their culture and autonomy.
How does the script suggest the boarding school experience has shaped contemporary issues faced by Native Americans?
-The script implies that the boarding school experience has contributed to ongoing issues faced by Native Americans, including cultural loss, identity struggles, and intergenerational trauma.

Outlines

00:00

🏫 Native American Boarding Schools: A Tragic Beginning

The script begins by setting the scene in a Native American boarding school, a place of historical trauma and suffering. The author emphasizes the tragic nature of these institutions, which were part of a broader American experience. The boarding schools were established with the misguided intention of assimilating Native American children into white society, under the cruel motto 'kill the Indian, save the man.' Upon arrival, children were stripped of their cultural identity, including their clothing, names, and language, and subjected to harsh punishments for any sign of resistance. The script highlights the long-lasting effects of this generational trauma, which are still felt today, and the lack of control Native American parents had over their children's fate until the Indian Child Welfare Act was passed in 1978.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Native American boarding schools

Native American boarding schools were institutions funded by the U.S. government with the aim of assimilating Native American children into white American culture. They were part of a broader policy of forced cultural assimilation. In the video's narrative, these schools are depicted as a 'horrible environment' that the children are running away from, illustrating the traumatic experiences that have had lasting effects on generations of Native Americans.

💡Generational trauma

Generational trauma refers to the emotional and psychological impact of a traumatic event that is passed down through generations. In the context of the video, it is used to describe the long-lasting effects of the boarding school experience on Native American communities, showing that the trauma is not confined to those who directly experienced it but extends to their descendants.

💡Richard Henry Pratt

Richard Henry Pratt was an American soldier and pioneer of the Native American boarding school system. His guiding ethos, 'kill the Indian, save the man,' encapsulates the assimilationist approach of the boarding schools, which sought to eradicate Native American culture and identity. This concept is central to understanding the video's theme of cultural erasure and its consequences.

💡Cultural assimilation

Cultural assimilation is the process by which a minority group adopts the customs, language, and practices of a dominant culture. The video discusses this in the context of the boarding schools, where children were stripped of their cultural identity and forced to adopt white American norms, highlighting the systematic attempt to suppress Native American culture.

💡Kerosene

Kerosene, mentioned in the script, was used to bathe the children upon arrival at the boarding schools, symbolizing a harsh and dehumanizing initiation into the assimilation process. It represents a physical act of cleansing that was meant to erase the children's cultural and personal identities.

💡White sounding names

The practice of giving Native American children 'white sounding names' at the boarding schools was a method of stripping them of their cultural heritage. It is an example of the forced assimilation policies that aimed to erase any trace of Native American identity, as discussed in the video.

💡Sacred element

In many Native American cultures, hair, particularly long braids, holds a sacred significance. The video script describes the act of forcibly cutting off these braids as a violation of the children's cultural and spiritual beliefs, emphasizing the deep emotional and cultural impact of the boarding school experience.

💡Native tongue

The prohibition of speaking one's native language at the boarding schools was a punitive measure to suppress Native American culture. The video script uses this as an example of the extreme measures taken to enforce cultural assimilation, illustrating the systematic attempt to eradicate Native American languages and traditions.

💡Native religion

The script mentions the prohibition of practicing Native American religions at the boarding schools, another aspect of the cultural suppression policy. This highlights the extent to which the government sought to control and alter the spiritual lives of Native American children, further contributing to the generational trauma discussed in the video.

💡Punishment

The script refers to the 'great punishment' that children risked if they spoke their native language or practiced their religion. This underscores the severity of the boarding school environment and the harsh consequences faced by those who resisted the forced assimilation, reinforcing the video's theme of cultural oppression.

💡Indian Child Welfare Act

The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 is a federal law that protects the rights of Native American children and their families. The video script mentions it to highlight the historical context of the boarding schools, noting that prior to this act, Native American parents had no legal recourse when their children were taken away by the government, contributing to the ongoing trauma experienced by these communities.

Highlights

The story begins at a Native American boarding school, symbolizing a tragic part of American history.

The boarding school experience is described as a source of generational trauma with lasting effects.

Richard Henry Pratt is identified as the originator of the misguided boarding school system.

The boarding school's guiding ethos was 'kill the Indian, save the man', reflecting a harmful approach to assimilation.

Children were stripped of their clothing and identities upon arrival, including harsh bathing and uniform dressing.

Native children were given new, 'white sounding' names to erase their cultural identities.

Hair, a sacred element in Native culture, was forcibly cut off from the children.

Speaking their native language or practicing their religion was forbidden and punishable.

The lack of control Native Americans had over their lives is highlighted, especially regarding their children.

The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 is mentioned as a turning point, ending a century of government control over Native American children.

For a hundred years, Native American parents were helpless against the government taking their children to boarding schools.

The boarding schools were government-funded, indicating state involvement in the cultural erasure of Native Americans.

The long-term effects of the boarding school system continue to impact Native American communities today.

The transcript emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical context of Native American boarding schools.

The story aims to raise awareness about the ongoing impact of past policies on present-day Native American life.

The narrative seeks to humanize the experiences of Native American children subjected to the boarding school system.

The transcript calls for a deeper understanding of why the boarding school system's effects are still relevant today.