Deculturation and the Claim of Racial and Cultural Superiority/The Indian Boarding Schools
Articles: Deculturation and the Claim of Racial and Cultural Superiority by Anglo-Americans/The Indian Boarding Schools.
Authors: Joel Spring/Michele Bollinger
These authors argue that throughout history in North America, educational policies have helped to destroy the culture, language, and traditions of African Americans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Asians, and Native Americans. As stated by Joel Spring "Educational policies served the interests of those wanting to take advantage of others." Educational policies have served the purpose of proliferating the suppression and exploitation of people of color through the destruction of languages and cultures. Throughout history Anglo-Americans have rationalized the exploitation and cultural intolerance of the groups of people by claiming they were racially and culturally inferior. They were called savages, pagans, and degenerates. As written by Joel Spring "using these descriptors, it was easy for English invaders to turn cultural differences into racial differences and for them to consider all Native Americans as racially inferior."
Native Americans beliefs and value systems differed from that of Anglo-Americans. Native Americans believed in the sharing of property, helping one another, hunted only what they needed, and did not see work or material possessions as their priority. They didn't see their women and children as property either. On the other hand New England colonists believed in hard work, and the accumulation of property and wealth. Anglo-Americans developed Indian boarding schools as a means to "civilize" the Native Americans. It was less expensive to suppress and exploit Native Americans through education than war. As stated in the article by Michele Bollinger "Secretary of the interior Henry Teller calculated that over a ten year period the annual cost of both waging war on Indians and providing protection for frontier communities was in excess of $22 million nearly four times what it would cost educate 30,000 children for a year." The purpose of these schools was to strip Native Americans of their identities, even though as stated in the article; Identities and Social Locations: Who Am I? Who Are My People?, " Identity is much more than an individual decision or choice about who we are in the world."
In the youtube video; How the US Suppressed Native American Identity https://youtu.be/FFAQBUCNEtg, Dennis Banks shares his personal story. He describes the horrors that children witnessed and experienced in these schools. It is easy to see how money/profit seems to be at the root of all cultural intolerance, and subordination throughout history. It is shocking to see how an education, something viewed as fundamental to equality, can be used as a weapon to manipulate and exploit others, having the opposite effect. It is obvious that as a nation in order to improve our educational system, it is important to look back at how educational policies have affected the development of generations and learn from these missteps. As best stated by Jean Anyon " A historical examination of policies can inform decisions we make today."
Authors: Joel Spring/Michele Bollinger
These authors argue that throughout history in North America, educational policies have helped to destroy the culture, language, and traditions of African Americans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Asians, and Native Americans. As stated by Joel Spring "Educational policies served the interests of those wanting to take advantage of others." Educational policies have served the purpose of proliferating the suppression and exploitation of people of color through the destruction of languages and cultures. Throughout history Anglo-Americans have rationalized the exploitation and cultural intolerance of the groups of people by claiming they were racially and culturally inferior. They were called savages, pagans, and degenerates. As written by Joel Spring "using these descriptors, it was easy for English invaders to turn cultural differences into racial differences and for them to consider all Native Americans as racially inferior."
Native Americans beliefs and value systems differed from that of Anglo-Americans. Native Americans believed in the sharing of property, helping one another, hunted only what they needed, and did not see work or material possessions as their priority. They didn't see their women and children as property either. On the other hand New England colonists believed in hard work, and the accumulation of property and wealth. Anglo-Americans developed Indian boarding schools as a means to "civilize" the Native Americans. It was less expensive to suppress and exploit Native Americans through education than war. As stated in the article by Michele Bollinger "Secretary of the interior Henry Teller calculated that over a ten year period the annual cost of both waging war on Indians and providing protection for frontier communities was in excess of $22 million nearly four times what it would cost educate 30,000 children for a year." The purpose of these schools was to strip Native Americans of their identities, even though as stated in the article; Identities and Social Locations: Who Am I? Who Are My People?, " Identity is much more than an individual decision or choice about who we are in the world."
In the youtube video; How the US Suppressed Native American Identity https://youtu.be/FFAQBUCNEtg, Dennis Banks shares his personal story. He describes the horrors that children witnessed and experienced in these schools. It is easy to see how money/profit seems to be at the root of all cultural intolerance, and subordination throughout history. It is shocking to see how an education, something viewed as fundamental to equality, can be used as a weapon to manipulate and exploit others, having the opposite effect. It is obvious that as a nation in order to improve our educational system, it is important to look back at how educational policies have affected the development of generations and learn from these missteps. As best stated by Jean Anyon " A historical examination of policies can inform decisions we make today."
Hello Yanery! Your blog was very thourough. I really enjoyed your addition of the video. The description this man gave was so touching. It made me think, how can people even fathom ideas that could crush a person’s identity? This made the readings more real and heart-breaking for me. Also, the quote you chose to end your blog, “a historical examination of policies can inform decisions we make today,” LOVE IT! I feel like that is the true argument of the two articles together. So, bravo to you. I feel that these two articles can shed light on why some of our policies are still imperfect today.
ReplyDeleteHi Yanery! The part where you say "It is shocking to see how an education, something viewed as fundamental to equality, can be used as a weapon to manipulate and exploit others, having the opposite effect" was really well said. As I was reading the articles I had the same thoughts, how can education be used in such a negative way when it has the power to be so positive? I think you are right that we need to know about how these educational policies have effected people and learn from them and better the system.
ReplyDeleteHello Yanery,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I can only imagine how terrific the life of thousands of Native American children was once the European Invaders took over their land, their identity, their right(s) to live a free life. Boarding Schools were a prison for these native American children. I am sure they witnessed horrible things that undoubtly left an psychological and social scar on these poor innocent souls as they were forced to forget about their identity, their culture. .
Unfortunatelly money, greed and power are the root of all cultural subordination and inequality. It has been an issue for hundreds of years throughout history. Regarding education and inequality. I believe that The United States still has a lot of work to do in order to improve our educational system. Getting an education is a critical aspect of American life. Equal education should be available to ALL students regardless of their background.
Your comment about the cost of suppression, how it was cheaper to educate Native Americans into submission than to eliminate them entirely, struck me as being a key characteristic of our government since its inception. You may also have noticed Spring mentioning Thomas Jefferson's plan to save money by purchasing land and transforming the identities of Natives Americans, essentially turning them into Anglo-Americans. It's strange to me to think of how so much bad policy is motivated by budget concerns, and how much pain and suffering can be caused to appease the (usually wealthy) taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteThis is a crucial point -- that this was racist education in the service of land grabs.
DeleteHi Yanery,
ReplyDeleteI love love love your video! I was thinking about Standing Rock when reading the article, but then forgot to mention it. I am so glad your video did. Really - some things never change! It is very sad that these kids were forced to go, and also sad that in spite of all the horror, some people did have good intentions. It seems to me, though, if people are hiding their children from you and are encouraging them to run away, then they probably don't want you to 'school' them. When you think of it, the British could be pretty cruel to their own people - their own children. As well, why does it always take so long to shut something down when horrors are discovered?
Yanery, a powerful and painful post to read. Your prose really hits at the heart of the readings and illuminates how education has (and still does) served the powerful interests of white settlers to (a) stigmatize "the other" in order to (b) appropriate their land, wealth, labor, resources, etc. We see education "weaponized" in service of white accumulation desires and racial interests. I think the Precious Knowledge documentary gives us a glimpse of hope -- that another world IS possible but we will need to struggle for it.
ReplyDelete