Historical Context of U.S. Indian Boarding Schools

Summary

American Indian Boarding Schools, established in the 19th and 20th centuries, forcibly assimilated Native children into settler culture, suppressing their languages and traditions. Over 500 institutions have been identified by NABS, where children faced abuse and cultural erasure. The impact of these schools persists, with Native communities grappling with intergenerational trauma and cultural loss. Despite this, there is a resilient push for cultural and language revitalization, seeking truth and healing.

Takeaways

• 🏫 American Indian Boarding Schools were established with the aim to assimilate Native children into mainstream settler-American culture.
• 📚 These institutions forcibly took thousands of Native children from their families and nations, suppressing their cultures and languages.
• 🔍 The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) has identified over 500 such institutions.
• 🚫 Students were prohibited from speaking their native languages and practicing their traditions within these schools.
• 🌐 The impact of these schools is still felt today, with Native communities facing challenges in culture and language revitalization.
• 📉 The legacy of boarding schools has contributed to intergenerational trauma, substance abuse, and mental health issues among Native people.
• 🇨🇦 Canada's Indian Residential School system, with nearly 150 institutions, had a similar impact on its indigenous population.
• 📜 In 2008, Canada initiated a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the impacts of its residential school system.
• 📧 The U.S. government has not yet established a similar commission to address the impacts of American Indian Boarding Schools.
• 💪 Despite historical trauma, Native nations are resilient and actively working towards cultural and language revitalization, healing, and justice.

Q & A

What was the primary goal of American Indian Boarding Schools?

The primary goal of American Indian Boarding Schools was to assimilate Native children into mainstream settler-American culture.

How did the U.S. government's policy lead to the establishment of these boarding schools?

The U.S. government initiated a policy in the 19th and 20th centuries to forcibly assimilate Native children into settler society, which led to the establishment of over 500 American Indian Boarding Schools.

What kind of conditions and treatment did Native children experience in these schools?

Native children were subjected to harsh conditions, cultural suppression, and abuse. They were forbidden from speaking their native languages or practicing their traditions.

How did the boarding school system impact the Native people's connection to their culture and identity?

Generations of Native children were deprived of their connection to their culture, tradition, land, and identity, which were stolen from them through the boarding school system.

What is the Canadian equivalent to the American Indian Boarding Schools?

The Canadian equivalent is the Indian Residential School system, which included nearly one hundred and fifty institutions and impacted an estimated one hundred and fifty thousand children.

What steps did Canada take to address the legacy of the Indian Residential School system?

Canada initiated a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2008, which compiled testimony from survivors, centralized archival resources, and produced a series of 94 calls to action.

Why has the United States not established a similar commission to Canada's?

The United States Government has not yet established a commission to address the impacts of the U.S Indian Boarding School policy or to identify how many students were impacted.

What challenges do Native nations face today as a result of the boarding school legacy?

Native nations face challenges of culture and language revitalization, addressing intergenerational trauma, and dealing with already pressing issues in Indian Country.

How has the trauma from boarding schools affected the Native communities?

The trauma has been passed down through generations, contributing to high rates of substance abuse, mental health issues, and cultural loss.

What efforts are being made by Native nations to overcome these challenges?

Native nations are actively working to revitalize their cultures and languages, heal from intergenerational trauma, and seek truth, justice, and healing, with educators, community leaders, parents, and families at the forefront of these efforts.

What is the significance of acknowledging the strength and resilience of Native nations?

Acknowledging the strength and resilience of Native nations is important in recognizing their ongoing journey toward healing and the preservation of their cultures and identities.