Article Questions
What is segregated education and who usually benefits from it in the context of U.S. history?
Segregated education is the separation of students into different educational facilities based on their race/ethnicity. In the context of history, White people were the dominating benefactors. (Black Americans, Native Americans, etc.)
In your opinion, is dispossession of land a worthy sacrifice for citizenship and economic opportunity?
Put yourselves in the shoes of a Native American, and everything you would learn or gain from this sacrifice would benefit White people more than you because you are considered an insignificant piece that MUST to be assimilated to a “greater” whole.
Segregated education has existed for a long period of time, does this mean the experiences of this problem are the same for every point on the timeline?
The answer is no. For example, in 1879 there were still Indian wars being fought in the U.S., so the experience for a Native American who was attending a government school at that time would differ greatly from one during the 1930s. This era had people within the government criticizing the loss of language and culture that the Native people face in the name of education and economic stability. These are two very different periods, but the problem is still prevalent.
How does the caste system fit into the article's portrayal of cultural assimilation?
The article reveals how Native American boarding schools operated within a system similar to the caste system, that deemed Indigenous culture inferior and sought to erase it through forced assimilation. This hierarchy was enforced through systemic abuse and the suppression of language, tradition, and identity. By institutionalizing cultural domination, the schools mirrored caste systems that maintain control through dehumanization and social skewing/stratification.
What types of claims can be asserted based on the articles report on the inconsistencies and underrepresentation of Native Americans in segregated education?
- The U.S. government prioritized assimilation over education in Native American boarding schools, using them as tools of cultural erasure rather than academic development.
- Native Americans were historically underrepresented and misrepresented in educational policy and records, reflecting systemic neglect and invisibility.
- The boarding school system perpetuated abuse and segregation, revealing deep inconsistencies in federal responsibility and a failure to protect Indigenous children.