Unseen Tears: The Native American Boarding School Experience in Western New York Part 1
Summary
TLDRThe transcript reflects personal accounts of Indigenous experiences in residential schools, where children were taken from their families, stripped of their culture, and subjected to harsh conditions. The discussion reveals how policies of the past sought to 'civilize' Native populations by eradicating their languages, customs, and identities. It covers the emotional and physical trauma endured, including isolation, abuse, and cultural erasure, as well as the lasting psychological effects on survivors. The narrative touches on the systemic oppression that Indigenous people faced and highlights the importance of remembering these dark chapters of history.
Takeaways
- 😔 The song 'One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians' reflects a dark history of violence and dehumanization against Indigenous people.
- 😕 Children were dressed in uniforms at government-run schools, separating them from their cultural roots.
- 🤔 Indigenous children were told not to trust or listen to white people but were not given clear explanations why.
- 🏫 Government schools and hospitals were introduced as part of the colonization process, aiming to 'civilize' Indigenous people.
- ❓ There is little public knowledge or discussion about the origins and impact of residential schools, with audiences unaware of their historical context.
- 🔫 The initial policy toward Indigenous people was extermination, but this later shifted to cultural genocide — 'killing the Indian, saving the man.'
- 👨⚕️ General Pratt's infamous quote 'kill the Indian, save the man' represents the mindset of dehumanizing Indigenous cultures.
- 🛏️ Survivors of these schools recount emotional and physical trauma, including being separated from family and subjected to harsh punishments.
- ✂️ Children had their hair cut off upon arrival, symbolizing the stripping away of their cultural identity.
- 🥺 Many survivors reflect on the deep psychological impact these experiences had on their sense of self, trust, and identity.
Q & A
What is the song 'One Little Two Little Three Little Indians' about?
-The song is about counting dead Indians, reflecting a dark period in history when Indigenous people were subjected to violence and extermination.
What was the initial policy towards Indigenous people as mentioned in the script?
-The initial policy was 'the only good Indian is a dead one,' advocating for the extermination of Indigenous people.
How did the policy towards Indigenous people change over time?
-The policy shifted from outright killing to 'killing the Indian and saving the man,' which meant assimilating Indigenous people into white society by forcibly removing their cultural identities.
Who was General Pratt and what was his contribution to the policy?
-General Pratt was known for the phrase 'to kill the Indian and save the man,' advocating for the cultural assimilation of Indigenous people through education.
What were residential schools and why were they established?
-Residential schools were institutions established to assimilate Indigenous children into Western culture. They were part of a policy to 'civilize' Indigenous people by severing their ties to their culture and traditions.
What was the experience of the speaker at the Mush Hole boarding school?
-The speaker experienced a harsh and traumatic upbringing at the Mush Hole boarding school, where they were subjected to physical and emotional abuse, cultural erasure, and were separated from their family.
Why were the children referred to as 'Mush Hole Baldies'?
-The children were called 'Mush Hole Baldies' because they had their hair cut off upon arrival at the Mush Hole boarding school, leaving them bald.
What was the impact of the boarding school experience on the speaker's perception of their upbringing?
-The speaker initially thought their upbringing was normal, but after leaving the boarding school, they realized the mistreatment and abuse they had endured.
How were the children punished for speaking their native language at the boarding school?
-Children were punished by having their mouths washed out with soap for speaking their native language, as part of the effort to suppress their cultural identity.
What was the purpose of the dark press room mentioned in the script?
-The dark press room was used as a form of solitary confinement and psychological punishment, where children were locked in the dark, often told that rats would get them, as a means to control and intimidate them.
What was the significance of the numbers given to the children at the boarding school?
-The numbers given to the children were used to dehumanize them, replacing their names with identifiers. This was part of the process to strip them of their individuality and cultural identity.
Outlines
🪶 The Dark History of Residential Schools and Cultural Eradication
The speaker recounts the history of the horrific treatment of Indigenous people, reflecting on songs that trivialized the killings of Native Americans. They recall growing up on a reservation, being told not to trust white people but never being told why. Government initiatives such as residential schools and hospitals were aimed at 'civilizing' Indigenous children. The speaker highlights that these schools, which many don't know about, were part of a policy aimed at eradicating Indigenous culture. Initially, the goal was to kill Indigenous people, but it shifted to 'killing the Indian and saving the man,' a policy propagated by General Pratt. These assimilation policies lasted until the 1980s in Canada and the U.S.
💔 Personal Experiences of Trauma at the 'Mush Hole'
The speaker shares their personal memories of attending a residential school, known as the 'Mush Hole,' at the age of four. They describe the hardship and loneliness of being separated from family, the unsanitary conditions, and the emotional pain they endured. The school experience caused feelings of anger and resentment that only surfaced after they left. The speaker reflects on how their parents couldn’t take care of them due to struggles with alcoholism, and they vividly recall having their hair cut off, a dehumanizing practice that furthered their sense of alienation. Being called 'Mush Hole Baldies' added to their suffering, as they were mocked both at the school and on the reserve.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Residential Schools
💡Assimilation
💡Kill the Indian, Save the Man
💡Cultural Genocide
💡Mush Hole
💡Language Suppression
💡Racism
💡Child Separation
💡Colonialism
💡Trauma
Highlights
The song 'One little, two little, three little Indians' reflects the historical violence towards Native Americans, as it refers to counting dead Indians from a time when they were systematically killed.
Children dressed in uniforms were a common sight, while children from the reservations were not, illustrating the divide and alienation created by the forced schooling system.
Growing up on the reservation, children were told not to trust white people but were never given reasons why, showing how deep mistrust was ingrained without explanation.
Residential schools were built by the government to 'civilize' Indigenous children, reflecting a policy of cultural erasure.
The statement, 'the only good Indian is a dead one' illustrates the genocidal mindset that once shaped government policy toward Indigenous peoples.
The shift in policy from 'killing the Indian' to 'killing the Indian and saving the man' reflects a change from physical genocide to cultural genocide through forced assimilation.
General Pratt is infamous for coining the phrase 'kill the Indian and save the man,' which exemplifies the mindset of forced assimilation programs.
The governments of Canada and the United States followed these assimilation policies through residential schools until the 1980s.
A former student describes being sent to the 'Mush Hole' residential school at the age of four and spending nine years there, marking an extended period of separation from family.
Children at residential schools were subjected to poor living conditions, such as having their heads shaved and being infested with bugs, contributing to their dehumanization.
Students were called degrading names like 'Mush Hole Baldies,' further adding to the trauma and alienation they experienced.
Inhumane punishments were inflicted on children for speaking their Indigenous languages, including washing their mouths with soap and being locked in dark rooms.
The speaker notes that some children, like themselves, resisted speaking English for years, as an act of defiance against forced assimilation.
Children at the residential school were given numbers instead of names, further stripping them of their identity and humanity.
The name of the Indian School was derived from 'asylum,' indicating that Indigenous children were seen as needing to be confined or 'corrected,' akin to mentally ill patients.
Transcripts
one little two little three little Indians
that's a song
that's a song about counting dead Indians
back on the trails when they used to kill Indians.
we would see all these kids dressd in uniforms we'd be wondering how come they were dressed like that
We weren't dressed like that but these little kids were I remember being
younger growing up on the reservation being told
don't trust white people don't listen to them never told why
government schools are constantly being built
and hospitals added we bring them in and
clean them up and start them on the way to civilization
I would ask social services and Human Services audiences
how many people know about residential schools?
How many people here do? This is never talked about
why did those schools get started and who started
and what was the rationale behind it? The first general policy was... the only
good Indian is a dead one
that we needed to be killed, exterminated, eradicated.
once they realized that it's a little bit more difficult to have mass genocide
of a population
the policy changed from killing the Indian to killing the Indian and saving the man.
there's a general Pratt who was well known for for using those
words
to kill the Indian and save the man.. In thatwe are subhuman
that our ways are savage and we needed to be civilized.
The governments of Canada and the United States followed those policies up until
the 1980s in one form or another.
[SINGING} There is a boarding school far far away where we get mush and milk
for three times a day Oh how the Huskies run when they hear their dinner
bell.
Oh how the Huskies run. Three time a day [SINGING ENDS]
like I say I went to the Mush Hole when I was four years old.
I was there for nine years.
Once in a while we come home at summertime but not all the time.
When the counselors came they said my dad couldn't raise us properly.
We were at the Mush Hole one week and our heads were full of bugs.
There was a lot of sad times but I mean like I didn't get like angry and have any resentment
till after I got out.
I didn't know from 5 and 1/2 to 16
I thought I was just like a normal
upbringing...to not have parents and stuff like that but
after I got out
I was like this is the way they were supposed to be treating us.
I think my mother couldn't take care because of
our father was into alcohol
me and my sister... we started there in 1945.
I was 5 years old at the time.
We had all of our hair cut off. We were made baldies. We were really bald.
and that wasn't a very good feeling to have.
They used to call us
Mush Hole Baldies
That's what the kids on the reserve called us.
I mean this is gonna take like all day
I the new
we were taken to the hospital
to get checked out for net
in whatever I guess though you know man
well the trick to thought you know the your then
then they split a the discourse but
in the age group and by the boys and girls
boys were on one side to grow to around 120
and they went from the lower age up to
high school level my momma going to walk over here
go to store and a and that five and a half a year
my sister tells me that I grab my mind playing and I'm
our cars for all this crying were no hope for a serious crime
like you know greater my mom was gonna leave us here
so I Graham I'm honestly gon
mom crying and that meh
just gonna make Harnik mod only
me me like you know from but anyway like a
while that was going on there supervisor came over and just gonna
grab me piano my marshall et
and and then mime I just want to know
and never seen your for
or and 10 years I don't hear you never come to see me want
I don't know why took my brother away
to where he was suppose this thing
and my sister he should resign on her own I was with
mosser for you for five-year-old we didn't go to school
because we're too young yet through the agency's
on the government they are being rapidly brought from where state of compassion
and
savagery and barbarism the 10 some was Asian
when we used our language from you that young age fury over just learning
so be used to wash your mouth out with soap
we would take the whole bunch over in March earth
to the shower cold shower new throw thinner
I'm beers along the way I'm
with her routine thing I guess I don't know
for the output that todos
you know they'd throw us in this dark press room where
pick up dollar-something gonna meaning close
Anna that 30 rosemary and I am near
and now tell us the rats were gonna get us
but home I didn't know then why I was being thrown in there and I used to
wonder
what did I do and I would cry
rosemary mint crime we cried and cried for hours and their
not knowing why we were in there Anna
did take a so and when I didn't get to learn a little bit
English I knew then they were throwing mess in there because we went to speak
English
and I'm I must've been stubborn right from the day I was born because I
thought to myself all members speak English even
you want me to speak English I won't speak English
so I didn't speak at all for two whole years
because I figured if I spoke in you and I can lick 'em
Anna if I spoke English then it would be against anything that I stood for
and so I didn't sleep at all but the danger they all speak English
and some have taken business cautious
home economics another higher training
up into another room down and made on the playroom
a call at Clover happen put their a closing the school
I'm yeah and they give us a number
so my number was like 40 and my brother ever
36 my family was the state
run into two in the nickname for the time with Indian School
with Salam
and tell 'em was derived from asylum
you're in asylum is it for crazy people
so we were thought I was being crazy I guess
they were just considered bad people bad children
but they weren't bad children okay they were placed there for
for so many different reasons but not because a
any kind of delinquent the are on their part
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