What happened to Indian children in boarding schools?

There were more than 523 government-funded, and often church-run, Indian Boarding schools across the U.S. in the 19th and 20th centuries. Indian children were forcibly abducted by government agents, sent to schools hundreds of miles away, and beaten, starved, or otherwise abused when they spoke their Native languages.

How were Indian children treated in boarding schools?

Indian boarding schools usually imitated military life. Children were forced to cut their hair, wear uniforms, and march in formations. Rules were very strict and discipline was often harsh when rules were broken. The students learned math, science, and other academic subjects.

What was the trauma in Indian boarding school?

The effects of the trauma have rippled through generations, fueling alcoholism, drug addiction and sexual abuse on reservations, said Jennifer Finley, a council member for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes whose grandparents went to one of the boarding schools.

What happened to children in boarding schools?

Many children faced beatings, malnutrition, hard labor and other forms of neglect and abuse. Some never returned to their families. Hundreds are known to have died, a toll expected to grow as research continues. Archival materials from the schools tell countless painful stories.

Why were Indian boarding schools shut down?

In the mid-20th century, many of these schools shut down due to reports of neglect and abuse, while those that remained made enormous changes. Four are still open today.

"Kill the Indian, Save the Man" - Carlisle Boarding School - US History - Extra History

What 3 things were the Indian children in boarding schools not allowed to do?

Schools forced removal of indigenous cultural signifiers: cutting the children's hair, having them wear American-style uniforms, forbidding them from speaking their mother tongues, and replacing their tribal names with English language names (saints names under some religious orders) for use at the schools, as part of ...

How many Indian children were taken from their parents?

An estimated 25% to 35% of Native American children were removed from their families prior to the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978. The Indian Child Welfare Act protects Indian children by prioritizing placement with extended families, within the tribe or with an Indian family.

What type of abuse was common at the boarding schools?

Forced by the federal government to attend the schools, Native American children were sexually assaulted, beaten and emotionally abused. They were stripped of their clothes and scrubbed with lye soap. Matrons cut their long hair. Speaking their tribal language could lead to a beating.

What was the most feared disease at the boarding schools?

In the late 1800s, communicable disease, particularly tuberculosis and influenza—became a problem at the boarding schools. Hundreds of Indian students fell victim to deadly diseases that were propagated within the schools' close confines.

Do Native American boarding schools still exist?

Only four schools exist today: Chemawa, Sherman, Flandreau Indian School in South Dakota and Riverside Indian School in Oklahoma.

What was the horror of Indian boarding schools?

There is “ample evidence” in federal archives, the report states, that the government “coerced, induced, or compelled Indian children to enter the Federal Indian boarding school system.” The treatment of students included “solitary confinement; flogging; withholding food; whipping; slapping; and cuffing.”

How did people resist Indian boarding schools?

Native children resisted. Some ran away, refused to work, and secretly spoke their languages. For years, Native communities protested for the right to educate their own children.

What is the most infamous Indian boarding school?

Various Native American boarding schools were established across the country, the most famous of which was the Carlisle Indian School, built in 1879 in Carlisle, Penn.

When was the last Indian boarding school closed in the US?

Harbor Springs was the last to close in 1983. Why did Native kids have to go to boarding schools? In the 1800s, the United States wanted to change the lives of Native people to be more like white Americans. Laws were made to force that change.

What is one reason why so many Native students died at boarding schools like Carlisle?

Disease was one reason why many Indian Boarding Schools closed. Though not the reason Carlisle shut down, at least 168 children who attended Carlisle died from tuberculosis, pneumonia, and the flu at the school.

What was the goal of sending children to Indian boarding schools?

The purpose of federal Indian boarding schools was to culturally assimilate American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children by forcibly removing them from their families and Indian Tribes, Alaska Native Villages, and Native Hawaiian Community.

What did they eat in Indian boarding schools?

The diet ingrained through Indian Boarding Schools effectively assimilated certain taste preferences for generations, including the consumption of lard, fried meats and bread, starchy root vegetables, and beans.

How many people died in Native American boarding schools?

Over 500 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children's deaths occurred at 19 of the federal Indian boarding schools, according to the report. In total, 53 marked and unmarked burial sites were identified at these school facilities nationwide.

Why were the Native American children sent to boarding schools?

The removal of Native American children from their families to attend boarding or Indian schools is a dark chapter in history. This practice began in the late 19th century and continued into the 20th century. The primary motivations were assimilation and cultural erasure.

Is boarding school psychologically damaging?

Boarding also has a significantly negative impact on students' mental health, with boarders displaying more problem behaviors, such as anxiety, depression, hostility, substance abuse, alcohol dependency, and school bullying [20, 21]. Notably, the impact of boarding varies at different stages of development.

How long did Native American boarding schools last?

Between 1819 and 1969, the U.S. ran or supported 408 boarding schools, the department found. Students endured “rampant physical, sexual, and emotional abuse,” and the report recorded more than 500 deaths of Native children—a number set to increase as the department's investigation of this issue continues.

What happened to Native American kids?

There were more than 523 government-funded, and often church-run, Indian Boarding schools across the U.S. in the 19th and 20th centuries. Indian children were forcibly abducted by government agents, sent to schools hundreds of miles away, and beaten, starved, or otherwise abused when they spoke their Native languages.

What would happen if Native American parents refused to send their children to boarding schools?

Many children were leased out to white families as indentured servants. Parents who resisted their children's removal to boarding schools were imprisoned and had their children forcibly taken from them.

What happened to the children at the Carlisle Indian Boarding School?

More than 150 children lie in the Carlisle Barracks Post Cemetery; many of them were students at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which closed in 1918. Many of the children died from diseases like tuberculosis. The one thing they had in common is they never returned home.

What is a Native American child called?

Papoose (from the Algonquian papoose, meaning "child") is an American English word whose present meaning is "a Native American child" (regardless of tribe) or, even more generally, any child, usually used as a term of endearment, often in the context of the child's mother.