Federal Indian Boarding School Sites
Henry Pratt
Examining Assimilation
Using photos to explore the ways and scope in which Native Americans were forced to assimilate with Euro-American culture through the use of boarding schools
Resources
Before and After the schools
Comparing Past and Present Day
Richard Henry Pratt, founder of the Indian Boarding Schools
Richarch Henry Pratt founded the first Indian Boarding School in 1879 under the infamous philosophy "Kill the Indian, Save the Man" Click the "Info" button to read a short excerpt from Pratt's speech at the National Conference of Charities and Correction in 1892. Then click the play button to watch a video featuring a poem and short story from a descendant of a surviving student from the schools.
+ INFO
Indian Boarding School Across the United States
Begginning around the 1880's the U.S. government began forcibly removing Native children from their homes and placed them in boarding schools. Many of these schools remained in operation until the 1980's or 90's. The map to the left shows all federal Indian Boarding schools that were operational anytime before 1969. Click on the info button below to learn how many schools were in each individual states.
+ INFO
Before and After the Schools
Here are some photos of students taken after they had been "civilized" by the school. Click on the photos to enlarge them Think about how clothing and culture are tied to your own identity. Then click on the "+" button to see what students looked like when they first arrived. What differences do you notice? Why do you think students were forced to change in this way?
Comparing Past and Present Day
After the Passage of the Indian Child Welfare Act in 1978, Native parents were able to refuse having their children placed in the boarding schools. Most of the schools closed down by the early 1990's. Today, the few schools that remain in operation have completely reversed course. One example is the Santa Fe Indian School in Santa Fe, New Mexico which seeks to serve Native populations by providing an education that is centered around their culture and tradition. Hover over the photos from the assimilation era to contrast them with the SFIS today. Click the "Info" button to learn more about SFIS.
+ INFO
Resources
Photos courtesy of: The Carlisle Indian School Project https://carlisleindianschoolproject.com/ The Santa Fe Indian School https://www.sfis.k12.nm.us/ Indian Boarding Schools in the U.S. map aggregation courtesy of Indianz.com https://www.indianz.com/ Pratt full speech direct link https://carlisleindian.dickinson.edu/sites/all/files/docs-resources/CIS-Resources_1892-PrattSpeech.pdf
Examining Assimilation Through Photographs
Tanner Dossey
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Transcript
Federal Indian Boarding School Sites
Henry Pratt
Examining Assimilation
Using photos to explore the ways and scope in which Native Americans were forced to assimilate with Euro-American culture through the use of boarding schools
Resources
Before and After the schools
Comparing Past and Present Day
Richard Henry Pratt, founder of the Indian Boarding Schools
Richarch Henry Pratt founded the first Indian Boarding School in 1879 under the infamous philosophy "Kill the Indian, Save the Man" Click the "Info" button to read a short excerpt from Pratt's speech at the National Conference of Charities and Correction in 1892. Then click the play button to watch a video featuring a poem and short story from a descendant of a surviving student from the schools.
+ INFO
Indian Boarding School Across the United States
Begginning around the 1880's the U.S. government began forcibly removing Native children from their homes and placed them in boarding schools. Many of these schools remained in operation until the 1980's or 90's. The map to the left shows all federal Indian Boarding schools that were operational anytime before 1969. Click on the info button below to learn how many schools were in each individual states.
+ INFO
Before and After the Schools
Here are some photos of students taken after they had been "civilized" by the school. Click on the photos to enlarge them Think about how clothing and culture are tied to your own identity. Then click on the "+" button to see what students looked like when they first arrived. What differences do you notice? Why do you think students were forced to change in this way?
Comparing Past and Present Day
After the Passage of the Indian Child Welfare Act in 1978, Native parents were able to refuse having their children placed in the boarding schools. Most of the schools closed down by the early 1990's. Today, the few schools that remain in operation have completely reversed course. One example is the Santa Fe Indian School in Santa Fe, New Mexico which seeks to serve Native populations by providing an education that is centered around their culture and tradition. Hover over the photos from the assimilation era to contrast them with the SFIS today. Click the "Info" button to learn more about SFIS.
+ INFO
Resources
Photos courtesy of: The Carlisle Indian School Project https://carlisleindianschoolproject.com/ The Santa Fe Indian School https://www.sfis.k12.nm.us/ Indian Boarding Schools in the U.S. map aggregation courtesy of Indianz.com https://www.indianz.com/ Pratt full speech direct link https://carlisleindian.dickinson.edu/sites/all/files/docs-resources/CIS-Resources_1892-PrattSpeech.pdf