Boarding School Blues – Chapters 5 – 10

Chapter 5 - Loosening the Bonds

                         ***Photo credit: http://www.hanksville.org/sand/intellect/RapidCity1.html

This essay was written by Scott Riney. His topic is the Rapid City Indian School and details its beginning purpose to its minor evolution during the 1920’s. He likens the Rapid City Indian School to The Carlisle Industrial School for Indians. It was a very rigorous and militant environment and the policy of the school was to assimilate the Indian. So rigorous that the school’s administration decided that dancing, smoking, card playing and eventually social and athletics events needed to be restricted and sometimes prohibited. During the 1920’s (the Great Depression Era), the school became a public school and the curriculum and purpose evolved to a more caring and nurturing environment. Family and the welfare of the child were now the major focus. However, the structure of the national Indian School model was maintained. The Rapid City Indian School closed its doors in 1933.

Chapter 6 – Hail Mary

                      ***Photo Courtesy of Google Images

This essay was written by Tanya L. Rathbun. Her topic is, “The Catholic Experience at St. Boniface Indian School” (1890-1952). The school was conceptualized and initially funded by a nun named Mother Katherine Drexel. The US Government almost immediately procured the schools budget. However, the Catholic Administration remained leery of any Government involvement.

Mother Drexel’s purpose was to Christianize Native American children and this was reflected in the strict Catholic Curriculum and structure of the school. Essentially, it was church and god before academics or the US Government’s agenda for the Native American. Industrial Arts and Trades were not offered at the school. However, the majority of manual labor was done by the students.

During the 1940’s until its closing, the school began to take on orphans of varying cultures and eventually evolved to become a Catholic mission school.

Chapter 7 - Learning Gender

***Photo Credit: http://www.shermanindianmuseum.org/PictureGallery/pages/ChildcareTraining.htm

This essay was written by Katrina A Paxton. Her topic is, "Female Students at the Sherman Institute, 1907-1925." Her focus is to highlight the lack of sufficient opportunities for young women who attended the school during this particular time period. Learning opportunities were less adequate for the young women than the boys. The general attitude of the curriculum and the school at that time was, “the woman belongs in the home.” They were schooled in the domestic arts and were instructed that women must be, “pious, pure, obedient, selfless, meek, and clean.” (Trafzer, et al) They were even encouraged to use soft voices when speaking. This particular “way of being” was surely contradictory to many of the leadership structures and roles of certain tribes.

Chapter 8 - Through a Wide-Angle Lens 

***Photo Credit: http://www.wsharing.com/WSphotosTahlequahCS.htm

This essay is written by Margaret Connell Szasz. Her topic is, “Acquiring and Maintaining Power, Position, and Knowledge through Boarding Schools.” She writes that in one perspective, some boarding schools have served as places where Native American students could receive leadership skills. These acquired leadership skills then ushered some Native Americans to “self-determination.” She even points out that some of the Five Civilized Tribes created their own schools to serve the purpose of developing leadership skills and promoting the importance of education to enrich lives.  I enjoyed reading this chapter and viewing a new perspective. 

***Click on the title of this chapter and you will be linked to a page detailing the history of the Cherokee Female Seminary in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. 

Chapter 9 - Indian Boarding Schools in Comparative Perspective

***Photo Credit: landofhope.wikispaces.com/Rabbit-Proof+Fence

This essay is written by Margaret D. Jacobs. Her topic is, “The Removal of Indigenous Children in the United States and Australia, 1880-1940.” She writes about the similarities of the Native American and the Australian Aboriginal people’s assimilation and boarding school eras. She in fact writes that Native children were not taken to boarding schools for the purpose of education, but rather to render them “useful” as a labor force for employers. Her term is “colonial control.” It was an interesting chapter to read.

Above is the poster for the movie called, "The Rabbit Proof Fence."  This movie is one story of the Australian Aboriginal experience.

Chapter 10 - The Place of American Indian Boarding School in Contemporary Society

Sherman Indian High School 22nd Pow Wow

***Photo Credit: flickr.com by danorth1

This essay is written by Patricia Dixon and Clifford E. Trafzer. The topic is, “The Place of American Indian Boarding School in Contemporary Society.” They focus on the role that Indian Boarding Schools now play in contemporary Native American society. They chose to focus their study on Sherman Indian High School students. It is noted that today, students attend Indian Boarding Schools for a variety of positive and negative reasons ranging from the escape of socioeconomic and social issues to the embracing of a culturally relevant curriculum and school activities. I personally am a supporter of certain Indian Boarding Schools and the roles they play in current times. Provided that they are run well overall.

***Click on the title of this Chapter and you will be taken to a source that details Sherman Indian School in brief. 

Boarding School Blues – “Putting Lucy Pretty Eagle to Rest” by Barbara C. Landis

Take the Tail “Lucy Pretty Eagle” was the daughter of Pretty Eagle and from the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. At the age of ten she arrived at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania on November 14, 1883. Take the tail “Lucy” did not live for very long after her arrival to Carlisle and was among the 190 Native American children to be buried in the Carlisle Indian School’s segregated cemetery.

I have read conflicting reports concerning the “order” of her death and burial. This book places her as the thirty-second child and other more fabled accounts claim that she was the first to be buried at Carlisle. However, her name stone now lays in the first row on the first corner of the cemetery after its relocation in the 1920’s. It is not clearly known or documented how or why Take the Tail died.

Since Carlisle’s closing, the grounds were reclaimed by the US Army War College. Over the past one hundred years several variations of haunting and ghost stories have been created by non-Indians. In 1996, the building that was reported as having been a girl’s dormitory and the place that Take the Tail lived, has now been found to actually have been a matron’s dormitory; debunking any plausibility to the former matron’s tales.

Photo credit: http://home.epix.net/~landis/lpe.html - Looking west from the superintendent's quarters (now Quarters 2) the two-story teachers' quarters are on the left. Today, there is a plaque on the end of this building (Coren Apartments) mis-identifying it as the girls' dormitory of the Carlisle Indian School.
 
***Click on the title of the post and you be transported to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School Archival Website and a page dedicated to the story of Take the Tail "Lucy Pretty Eagle."

The Man on the Bandstand (cont.)

   http://tinyurl.com/yj9dg6n - Click for a complete transcript of the book.

Aha! Ms. Burgess was revealed as the mysterious “Man on the Bandstand.” And the plot thickens… It was not surprising to learn of “his” identity. It seemed too obvious of a choice.
Many of the students were encouraged to remain on the East Coast after graduation, but very few did. In an effort to extend the influence of the “all knowing eye” of The Man on the Bandstand, Ms. Burgess decided to write a book. The book was titled, “Stiya” and was about a Pueblo girl’s return to her home reservation after completing her education at Carlisle Indian School.

The book was written in first-person and portrayed a sordid homecoming for the young Pueblo woman. “She” was disgusted with the “heathen” and “primitive” ways of her people and her family. One passage reads, “I rushed frantically into the arms of my school-mother, who had taken me home.” (Embe, Stiya: A Carlisle Indian Girl at Home-Cambridge: Riverside Press, 1891.) Many copies of the book were sent west to reservations in hopes of reminding the former students of all that they had been “taught” at Carlisle.

It was Ms. Burgess’s intent to “direct” and “control” the thoughts and minds of the children. Ms. Burgess, you see, believed in her cause. So did Mr. Pratt. This can and has been the way of many a missionary, conqueror, and others the world over. I believe that Ms. Burgess met her death with peace in her heart and the comfort of believing that her crusade was not in vein. But…that was her perspective.

Click on the title of the post to read a personal story about:

Embe. STIYA: A CARLISLE INDIAN GIRL AT HOME. Cambridge: Riverside Press, 1891. Written by the printing supervisor at Carlisle, Marianna Burgess, aka "Embe", this little book describes the return of a Pueblo girl to her home after her indoctrination at the Carlisle school. It offers the fictionalized trials of a child longing to reform her tribe's traditional ways to the assimilated, Christianized lifestyle taught at Carlisle. Highly propagandistic, the book was sold by subscription through the Carlisle Indian School newspapers and circulated throughout the Indinan agencies. For a closer look at the content, see this essay by Leslie Marmon Silko. Out of print. (provided by http://home.epix.net/~landis/secondary.html)

Boarding School Blues - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 is based on an essay written by Jacqueline Fear-Segal who is a professor of American Studies. Her focus is an attempt to unveil the power struggle and strategy used to control and regulate the happenings of daily life at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School.

Carlisle had a periodical published that was called the Indian Helper. The author explains that the purpose of the paper and its "sugar-coated" stories was to win the hearts and minds of the public for the purpose of ensuring continued government funding. However, the main audience for the publication was the students. The Indian Helper featured stories about activities, events, and the progresses of the Indian students at the school.

Mysteriously, the paper was edited by the “Man on the Bandstand." There was a white bandstand in the center of campus and this was where Richard H. Pratt and others would "watch over" the campus and regulate daily happenings. The identity of the “Man on the Bandstand" was never revealed. HE remained an ominous and looming presence amongst the student population. In the recounts of school happenings, the “Man on the Bandstand” would interject many critique and opinion on how the students could improve.

I can only imagine how it must have been for a student to read such a paper. I would think that it might be something to look forward to. They would most likely be somewhat excited to see pictures of themselves and their friends. Reading intently with a smile on your face…and then…JAB! Woven through the article you would find sneakily “hidden” criticisms. “You can be better.” “…and don’t forget to…”  And there goes your smile. 

The Indian Helper was an unfortunate and clever example of an underhanded attempt to control the student population. Psychological warfare. One of many strategies used to subdue the Children of Carlisle Indian School.

Photo:  Lieut Richard Henry Pratt, Founder and Superintendent of Carlisle Indian School, in Military Uniform and With Sword 1879.  (Wikipedia credit)

***Click on the title of the post and you will be transported to a web page detailing the history of Carlisle Indian School written by Barbara Landis.  At the bottom of the page is a tab titled, "Virtual Tour."  Click on this and scroll down for an excerpt of the Indian Helper.

Boarding School Blues - Chapters I & II

"Late-nineteenth-century policy makers, convinced that the alternatives facing Indians were racial extinction or forced assimilation, were determined to effect the latter.  The mechanism for accomplishing this objective was education.  On and (especially) off-reservation boarding schools were deemed the ideal instruments for lifting Indian children out of the depths of "savagism" and setting them on the path to progress, that is, "civilization." (Trafzer, Keller, and Sisquoc, 2006)

Chapter one is titled, "Beyond Bleakness" and discusses a minimum of six possible reasons to explain why Indian children might have choosen to attend Indian Boarding Schools.  The chapter describes documented accounts of these possible reasons.  They are listed as follows:

1. "...a welcome escape from desperate economic and social conditions..."
2. "...learning the ways of the white man would enhance..opportunity to make a living wage."
3. "...it offered an oportunity for gaining firsthand knowledge about the world beyond the reservation."
4. extra curricular programs
5. "...day to day humorous moments..."
6. "...the capacity of students to create a social world of their own making."

Chapter two is titled, "We Had a Lot of Fun, but of Course, That Wasn't the School Part." 

"Writing to the commissioner of Indian Affairs in 1899, Rainy Mountain's superintendent, Cora Dunn, put the matter bluntly: "Our purpose is to change them forever."  Places like Rainy Mountain, to echo David Wallace Adams's insightful phrase, proposed to use education for extinction." (Trafzer, Keller, and Sisquoc, 2006)

Although life and schedules would be rigorous for Indian Boarding students, it was impairative to have a sense of humor and find creative ways to maintain your sanity.  "...activities relieved the monotony of school life and enabled students to maintain some sense of autonomy." (Trafzer, Keller, and Sisquoc, 2006)

I can only wonder what it would be like to be part of a "new generation" of Indians.  (And the first generation of acculturated Indians)  The ways of their parents would be no longer as the children of boarding schools began new lives after their graduations.  Hmmm...

***Click on the title of the post and you will linked to "American Indian Boarding Schools Haunt Many"
by Charla Bear.  This story and intervew which includes Floyd Red Crow Westerman was featured on National Public Radio on May 12, 2008.

Simply...Thank you!

I would like to thank Ms. Hamann for restoring this blog. I have recently experienced major technical difficulties and had all but given up. I appreciate your talent and would like to recognize your tenacity. Truly, these qualities are what make you unique. Graciously, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and look forward to continuing the semester with my peers.


Kara L. Four Bear

Chilocco - The Final Chapter

Dormitory for intermediate boys, Chilocco Indian School, Chilocco, Okla. The back of the postcard reads: Dear mom, this is a picture of home One. When I come home I will tell all about it. From Your Son. This was sent to Delylah Edwards in Tulsa, OK.  (Photo Credit: Chilocco Indian School Alumni website)

It has been a great pleasure to read "They Called it Prairie Light - The Story of the Chilocco Indian School."  The book was not only informative, but also heartfelt.  I most enjoyed reading the personal interviews of the students themselves.

Whether working or learning, the students stole time to live like children.  Roasting stolen corn, creating home brew, slipping away to hear some music, or having stomp dances on the prairie...the children personalized their experiences in whatever manner they could.  They are forever bound in many different ways by their one common experience, attending Chilocco. 

***Click on the title of the post and you will be linked to the Chilocco Indian School Alumni website.  There you may browse photos and read about the history of Chilocco. 

Chilocco-Chapter 4 and Chapter 5

Indian Girl's School
Originally uploaded by carrej5

In my opinion, many pictures of Indian boarding school students reveal the intended appearance of conformity to the federal government’s assimilation of the Native American as forced. According to testimony, the uncomfortable and restrictive clothing and cut or pulled back hair were just a few of the rigors that one could expect to endure while attending Chilocco.

Strict attention to appearance was only one front that the staff of Chilocco and the federal government used to attack the very being and core of Native American identity and existence. From demanding work schedules to grueling disciplinary practices, the onslaught of inhumane expectations for children was in fact, a part of daily life.

Although the intent was to take away individuality and cultural identity while instilling an ethic of subservience, I believe that the Native American population has persevered in retaining their passion for culture and life. I believe that we can learn from our past, and use those lessons to make a brighter future in Native American education.

I look forward to becoming an asset to my people by becoming the most effective and nurturing educator that I can for future generations.



**Click on the title of the post to view "An Indian Boarding School Picture Gallery" that is provided for viewing by the University of Illinois and Modern American Poetry-An Online Journal and Multimedia Companion to the "Anthology of Modern American Poetry" (Oxford University Press, 2000), Edited by Cary Nelson

Chilocco-Chapter 3

Photo: Native American Hop pickers, Snoqualmie, Washington, 1886, Theodore Peiser Photo, Special Collections, University of Washington.

It was interesting for me to learn how the lack of funding for the Indian Boarding schools eventually perpetuated and often made urgent the task of recruiting and retaining students. 

I was personally offended by the creation of the "opportunity" class.  The "assessments" of students were made by uninterested and unqualified staff that were driven by ulterior motives of making the budget work.  This was further made apparent by offering students travel vouchers to go to Chilocco but not for traveling home for the summer months.  If your family was poor, they might have never have seen you.

However, I found myself smiling after reading about the independence eked by the students, no matter how small a victory, by eventually being able to purchase some clothing items of their own.  Having the "in" clothing and shoes.  The little things that remind me of what can make one happy in their youth...

Click on the title of the post to link to an assignment given to college students regarding Capitalist Transformation.  I stumbled upon this while browsing the internet and was intrigued by the power and message of a few of the photographs.  These pictures reflect to me... "The idea of an "appropriate" education for Indian fit educators' preconceived notions of racial minorities' "appropriate" place in American society, as manual laborers supporting America's agrarian (and industrial) sector."  (Lomawaima, 1994)

Chilocco – Chapter 2

Flandreau Indian School
Originally uploaded by Revrend117

The second chapter allows the reader to gather a sense of the “Chilocco Student Experience” by reading the narratives of experiences of former students. From their arrival to dormitory life, the documented experiences of the young boys and girls were varied.

It is evidenced that initially, attendance in the Chilocco Boarding School was most often forcible. However, during the 1920’s, boarding school seemed a more suitable economical choice in education for many Native American families. Most families were impoverished even before the era of the Great Depression. To some, it made sense to send their children to a school that would provide room, board, and clothing for their children while offering them an education. There are even accounts of children seeking admission to the Chilocco School themselves for various reasons. The enrollment at Chilocco School was in fact increasing.

Eventually, most Indian Boarding Schools had made the transition of phasing out the primary grades altogether. This did not mean that life at a boarding school would change significantly. The quality of life and education was poor, the schedules remained rigorous, and the discipline harsh. The structure maintained its military influence.

I am reminded of my own experiences attending boarding school. My husband attended one as well. Separately, we each chose to attend for our own reasons. Our reasons for attending and experiences were similar and we have that commonality. But many of my friends were “shipped” off to boarding school. I can be certain that their experiences and memories would differ from my own.

Is there a place for Indian boarding schools in today’s society? I think that there could be. But I do not agree that there is with the fashion that many currently exist in. A break from the past with the addition of cultural relevance, improved living conditions and educational practices would serve most well.

There will always be a stigma for the boarding school with the Native American. I wonder where I would be without my boarding school experience?

**Click on the title of the post to visit the Flandreau Indian Boarding School website and get a glimps of modern life at an Indian boarding school.  Make sure to visit the rules under the "Dorm Life" link on the page.  Life remains regimented.

Chilocco Indian School - Chapter 1

Chilocco Indian School
Originally uploaded by KariHosar

Native Americans have long since suffered under the tyranny of the United States Government. The founding of the Indian Boarding School system was just one of many injustices brought upon the Native American population during the late 1800’s and the early 1900’s. The systematic, forcible, and coerced removal of generations of Native American children from their families and communities has left a lasting and adverse impression upon the generations of today. Do we continue to suffer or choose to use the tools we have at our disposal to move forward and create a new history for our future generations?

Since the beginning of the “Boarding School Era”, the Federal Government and the Christian church have dictated how the American Indian is to fit into society. With the steady encroachment and reduction of our lands, we have in fact been faced with the inevitable task of conforming to European and modern American ways of life. However, with the resurgent renaissance of our culture, we are finding ways to exist successfully within both worlds while maintaining our cultural identity.

The present and future of Native American education is bright. An increase in the number of Native American teachers and administrators, although slight, gives me a positive opinion on the outlook of improved educational practices and cultural relevance within the classroom. I am honored to become a part of the new history of American Indian education in our country. Although the transition is and will be arduous, I happily count myself among many others in education that welcome the challenge to make a brighter future for Native American education.

***Click on the Post title to view:  Native American Rights Fund – Pdf. “The Merriam Report”

The Purpose of Education in Today's Society Interpretation

Education
Originally uploaded by Xin Li 88

The Purpose of Education in Today's Society Interpretation

In my opinion, the face and purpose of education is continually evolving. Since the beginning of man's time on our planet, we have continued to further advance in a multitude of ways through the use of tools. The hammer/wheel, language/communication, mathematics, and science have each played a part in this advancement.

Today, technology is a significant component in the education equation. The use and advancement of technology requires a more educated nation.

With that in mind, I am left to wonder about the purpose of education around the globe. What is the purpose?...I have decided that education is a basic human right. Education should be offered and not imposed. Cultural differences should be taken into consideration when providing an education and the content should be delivered in a relevant manner to the learner.

Education should serve the purpose of enhancing one's life, now and forever.

Have a nice Day!

Elevator to Sector 9

Elevator to Sector 9
Originally uploaded by ¡!¡!¡!¡!¡

Why did I choose this picture? What does it say about me? Hmmmmmm.....

Three Truths and a Lie

1. I have seen David Copperfield live.
2. I had a pet duck named Chocolate.
3. I like marshmallows.
4. I like the movie Moulin Rouge.

Good Luck!

The Foundations of Education in America

Hello!...How did we get From There...to Here?