Boarding Schools
How many Native American students were housed in these boarding schools?
- 300,000
- 600,000
- 900,000
600,000
Define: Indigenous
Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native
What were the punishments if the children did not speak English in the boarding schools?
- privilege restrictions
- diet restrictions
- threats of corporal punishment
- confinement
All of the above
Why did the U.S. gov't. change tactics and adopt Native children to families, as opposed to putting them into boarding schools?
It was cheaper to pay families a small amount each month than it was to maintain buildings, pay workers, provide food, etc.
Who said "Kill the Indian, save the man"?
Richard Henry Pratt
How many boarding schools were being operated across the 30 states that had them?
- 157 schools
- 257 schools
- 357 schools
357 schools
Define: Assimilation
adapting to a larger whole, changing to fit in
List at least 3 changes forced on the children.
- Anglo-American names
- Bathed in kerosene
- Given military-style clothing in exchange for their traditional clothes
- Hair cut short for boys and girls
Who, mainly, were the Native children adopted to?
Non-native households
What decade did the "Indian Adoption" program end?
- 1940's
- 1950's
- 1960's
1960's
What religion were the students forced to convert to?
Christianity
Define: Native American Reservation
An area of land managed and governed by a federally recognized Native American tribal nation
How did removal of children affect the tribal communities?
- they lost the "next generation" to carry on traditions
- much grief experienced by the entire community
- severed relationships between those children and their (extended) families
What were some excuses given for the forced removal of Native children from their families?
- neglect
- poverty
- lack of electricity
- lack of running water
During which decade did the last boarding school close?
- 1950's
- 1960's
- 1970's
1970's
Who ran the boarding schools?
- Christian missionaries & the federal gov't.
- Native American teachers
- U.S. military personnel
Christian missionaries & the federal gov't.
Define: Reparation
Actions, payments, or services provided to make amends for a wrong, injury, or human rights violation
Were adopted children treated better than those put into boarding schools?
Explain your answer.
Not always. Many people adopted these children with good intentions, while some saw a way to get money from the gov't (intended to support the children).
In addition, those children lost their sense of self, as many were old enough to know their names, their culture, their "people".
How were Native children frequently advertised to the public so people would want to adopt them?
They were frequently referred to as "orphaned".
FREEBEE: Who was Jim Thorpe and why was he famous?
(If you get this correct before seeing the answer, you get DOUBLE points!)
The Carlisle Indian School built a powerhouse college football team that ended up completing against Ivy League colleges. Jim Thorpe, from this school, became one of the greatest multi-sport athletes of the 20th century (successfully used by the gov't to justify the boarding school system)
What was the purpose of the Native American boarding schools?
- to "civilize" Native American children
- to provide them a better education
- to ensure they had good jobs when they graduated
To "civilize" the Native American children
The study of human beings, human origins, biological traits, social relations, and cultures across the past and present
Was the U.S. gov't. successful in assimilating Native children into "white society"?
Yes, by reducing the power of the tribes
What was the purpose of adopting Native children to non-Native families?
Non-Native families would raise Native children with non-Native cultures, languages, holidays, names, etc.
What famous U.S. prison held Native American fathers who refused to turn over their children to the gov't, as the gov't labelled these fathers "hostiles"?
Alcatraz prison, on an island in San Francisco Bay