After reading chapter one I wondered how Native Americans would be living today had they not been sent to boarding schools. Would we be considered "civilized U.S. Americans"? I am sure that many of our traditions and languages would still be practiced in our daily lives.
It is sad how so many children were taken away from their parents and forced to attend boarding school. Children were punished for using the only language they knew. Of course they are going to experience culture shock. Many kids even tried to run away.
My Grandma attended boarding schoolo in Chamberlain, SD. She said that they had to do many chores throughout the day. She was the only one out of her brothers and sisters who didn't try to run away.
I also found it ironic that when building the Chilocco Indian School, the superintendent went over budget yet the school was more concearned with converting or "civilizing" Native American children than they were with educating them. They focused more on teaching the children that the christian way of life was the working way of life.
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