Boarding schools

Definition

Boarding schools were institutions established primarily in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-American culture by removing them from their families and communities. These schools aimed to eradicate Indigenous identities, languages, and cultural practices, often using harsh discipline and a strict curriculum focused on Western values.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Many boarding schools were run by religious organizations, particularly Christian churches, that viewed assimilation as a moral duty.
2. Children were often taken from their families without consent or against the wishes of their parents, leading to trauma and loss of family connections.
3. Students at these schools were prohibited from speaking their native languages or practicing their cultural traditions, which led to a decline in Indigenous languages.
4. The harsh environment of boarding schools included physical punishment for disobedience and emotional abuse, contributing to long-term psychological effects on survivors.
5. The legacy of boarding schools continues to impact Indigenous communities today, contributing to ongoing issues related to identity, trauma, and cultural revival.

Review Questions

• How did boarding schools impact the identity of Indigenous children during the time they were operational?
  • Boarding schools significantly disrupted the identity formation of Indigenous children by forcibly removing them from their families and cultures. Children were subjected to an environment designed to erase their cultural identities, where they could not speak their native languages or participate in traditional practices. This separation created a disconnect between generations and led many children to internalize negative views about their heritage, ultimately affecting how they perceived themselves and their cultural backgrounds.
• What were the methods used by boarding schools to suppress Indigenous languages and cultural practices?
  • Boarding schools employed various methods to suppress Indigenous languages and cultural practices, including strict rules against speaking native languages. Students were often punished for using their languages or engaging in cultural expressions. The curriculum was heavily Eurocentric, focusing on Western education while disregarding Indigenous knowledge systems. Additionally, students were pressured to adopt Western attire and customs, reinforcing the notion that their own cultures were inferior.
• Evaluate the long-term effects of boarding school experiences on Indigenous communities in terms of cultural preservation and community dynamics.
  • The long-term effects of boarding school experiences have been profound and far-reaching within Indigenous communities. Many survivors faced challenges in reconnecting with their cultural identities due to the years spent in assimilation-focused environments. This has led to generational trauma that impacts community dynamics today, making cultural preservation efforts difficult. However, there is a growing movement among Indigenous peoples to revive languages and traditions that were suppressed by these institutions, fostering resilience and a renewed sense of identity within communities.

Related terms

Indian Adoption Project: A program initiated in the mid-20th century that aimed to remove Native American children from their families and place them in non-Native homes, furthering the goal of assimilation.

Cultural genocide: The systematic destruction of a group's culture, often through policies that aim to erase cultural identity and practices, which boarding schools were a part of in the context of Indigenous peoples.

Assimilation policies: Government strategies designed to integrate Indigenous peoples into mainstream society by forcing them to adopt Western customs, values, and beliefs, often at the expense of their own cultures.