The U.S. government used deculturalization policies against Native Americans in order to gain their land. The most infamous form of deculturalization imposed on Native Americans was the trail of tears. Entire nations of people were viciously forced from their land in the east and sent to resettle on new land in the west. Americans were not only responsible for stealing Native American land, but they also stole their culture by educating them and their children in European practices.
Early colonists and early Native Americans views on Education differed. Early colonists succeeded in deculturalizing Native Americans by replacing their cultural values related to family structures, gender roles, child-rearing practices, sexual attitudes, economic relationships and government. Colonists wished to change the family structure of Native Americans so that they might become more like Europeans. Europeans attempted different ways to educate Native Americans to change their entire culture. European Educators attempted to “civilize” Native Americans by instilling in them a sense of work ethic, the desire to own land, the establishment of a nuclear family structure with the father as the head of the household and Christian values.
Native American educational Programs were set up by Europeans despite the fact that Native Americans had little interest in being educated by the colonists. Many of the colonist’s insufficient attempts to colonize the Native Americans failed.
Henrico College for the education of Native American
Missionaries such as John Eliot learned Native American languages in order to attempt to convert them to Christianity, however Native Americans showed little interest in being converted. Those who did convert, Eliot argued, should be separated from the “uncivilized” Native Americans on separate reservations called “praying villages.”
Boarding schools were set up by Eleazar Wheelock and Samson Occom to civilize Native American children. Native American children were taken from their families and placed European boarding schools in an attempt to achieve cultural conversion. There, children learned English, religion, and how to farm and do other household tasks. “The vocational education was designed to prepare Native American students to live the farm life of a New Englander.
Moor’s Charity School, established in 1754
Dartmouth College
“For the education and instruction of youth of the Indian Tribes…and Christianizing Children of Pagans… and also English youth and others”
Children were taken form their parents, their hair was forcefully cut and they were forbidden to speak in their native language
-although money was raised for Dartmouth College to teach Native Americans, the college primarily accepted white students.
After sending Native Americans to live on reservations in the west after the trail of tears, Tomas McKenney, the head of the Office of Indian Affairs, used schooling as a process of Deculturalization in the early 1800’s. He believed that if young Native Americans were educated, they could become “civilized” in a single generation.
Established the Civilization Fund Act to provide money for the support of schools among Indian tribes.
Established religious schools which taught them to be literate, but were also designed to bring about their cultural and religious conversion
Spencer Academy (1844)
Armstrong Academy (1846)
New Hope Academy for girls
Carlisle Indian School (1879)
first off-reservation boarding school
25 other non-reservation schools opened shortly after Carlise
Manual labor schools were established on reservations to teach Native Americans habits of industry such as agriculture and domestic studies
The U.S. government used deculturalization policies against Native Americans in order to gain their land. The most infamous form of deculturalization imposed on Native Americans was the trail of tears. Entire nations of people were viciously forced from their land in the east and sent to resettle on new land in the west. Americans were not only responsible for stealing Native American land, but they also stole their culture by educating them and their children in European practices.
Early colonists and early Native Americans views on Education differed. Early colonists succeeded in deculturalizing Native Americans by replacing their cultural values related to family structures, gender roles, child-rearing practices, sexual attitudes, economic relationships and government. Colonists wished to change the family structure of Native Americans so that they might become more like Europeans. Europeans attempted different ways to educate Native Americans to change their entire culture. European Educators attempted to “civilize” Native Americans by instilling in them a sense of work ethic, the desire to own land, the establishment of a nuclear family structure with the father as the head of the household and Christian values.
Native American educational Programs were set up by Europeans despite the fact that Native Americans had little interest in being educated by the colonists. Many of the colonist’s insufficient attempts to colonize the Native Americans failed.
Henrico College for the education of Native American
Missionaries such as John Eliot learned Native American languages in order to attempt to convert them to Christianity, however Native Americans showed little interest in being converted. Those who did convert, Eliot argued, should be separated from the “uncivilized” Native Americans on separate reservations called “praying villages.”
Boarding schools were set up by Eleazar Wheelock and Samson Occom to civilize Native American children. Native American children were taken from their families and placed European boarding schools in an attempt to achieve cultural conversion. There, children learned English, religion, and how to farm and do other household tasks. “The vocational education was designed to prepare Native American students to live the farm life of a New Englander.
Moor’s Charity School, established in 1754
Dartmouth College
“For the education and instruction of youth of the Indian Tribes…and Christianizing Children of Pagans… and also English youth and others”
-although money was raised for Dartmouth College to teach Native Americans, the college primarily accepted white students.
After sending Native Americans to live on reservations in the west after the trail of tears, Tomas McKenney, the head of the Office of Indian Affairs, used schooling as a process of Deculturalization in the early 1800’s. He believed that if young Native Americans were educated, they could become “civilized” in a single generation.
established the Civilization Fund Act to provide money for the support of schools among Indian tribes
Established religious schools which taught them to be literate, but were also designed to bring about their cultural and religious conversion
Spencer Academy (1844)
Armstrong Academy (1846)
New Hope Academy for girls
Carlisle Indian School (1879)
first off-reservation boarding school
25 other non-reservation schools opened shortly after Carlise
Manual labor schools were established on reservations to teach Native Americans habits of industry such as agriculture and domestic studies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr-jackHWCw&t=505s
Kill The Indian And Save The Man
