Oklahoma Indian Boarding Schools
Education through Assimilation
Start
Overview
In this lesson, you will analyze the effects of federal policy to assimilate Native American children through the use of boarding schools. At the end of the lesson, you will be able to,
- explain why Indian boarding schools were created
- understand Indian boarding school student experiences
- reflect on the impact and legacy of assimilation policies
This presentation has interactive elements. Please be sure to click on graphics and videos to view the full content. There is also an icon at the top of the pages that points out interactive content.
Introduction
In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the federal government of the United States began planning how Native American tribes could coexist in the nation. The government invested in 'educating' and 'civilizing' Indian people. The goal was to assimilate them to adopt the European American way of life.
Navajo student Tom Torlino, when he entered Carlisle Indian Industrial School, and then three years later.
(*from the National Museum of the American Indian)
Timeline
1819
In the early 1800s, in response to assimilation policies, some Native American nations began incorporating their tribal languages and English into their education systems. Christian missionary groups and the federal government would begin founding boarding schools to pass on Euro-American values. Several policies were presented to aid in establishing boarding schools. Many Native American families were promised better living conditions and rich educations for their children, while others were removed from their homes and sent to these schools.
Indian Civilization Act Fund
1824
Creation of the "BIA"
1830
Indian Removal Act
1887
General Allotment Act
(*from the National Museum of the American Indian)
"Kill the Indian...save the man"
-Richard Henry Pratt
Richard Henry Pratt, founder of Carlisle, led by the motto "kill the indian, save the man". He believed American Indian children could become successful U.S. citizens if they were to abandon their culture and adopt Euro-American traits.
The Carlisle Indian Industrial School was founded in 1879 and operated for nearly 30 years. It would become the model for boarding schools. The school was operated under a military-style format.
(*from the National Park Service)
Oklahoma Indian Boarding Schools
The U.S. Department of the Interior identified 87 Indian boarding schools in Oklahoma, more than any other state. Some of the most notable Oklahoma Indian boarding schools include Chilocco Indian Agricultural School, Riverside Indian School, and Carter Seminary (formerly Bloomfield Academy).
Notable Oklahoma Indian Boarding Schools
Riverside Indian School, located in Anadarko, is the nation's oldest federally operated Indian boarding school and is one of four still remaining.
Riverside Indian School
(*from the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture)
Chilocco Indian Agricultural School
Chilocco was founded in 1883, as a federal off-reservation boarding school set out to house, civilize, Christianize, educate, and transform American Indian children.
(*from the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture)
Assimilation Tactics
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Upon arrival to a boarding school, Native American children were forced to cut their hair and their personal belongings were taken.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Boys were required to wear uniforms, while girls would wear dresses. The students would march in formations. This stripped children of their sense of identity.
Students learned math, science, and other academic subjects. They also learned skills like agriculture, carpentry, and cooking. This aided in erasing their traditional Native skills and culture.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
The use of an English-only policy forced a loss of Native language. Students were punished if they were caught speaking in their tribal language.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Uniforms & Military Drills
New Apperance
Title
Title
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
Students were made to look and dress like white Americans.
Students were required to wear a uniform and mimic military life.
Title
Labor Focused
English-Only Policy
Title
Write a brief description here
Students learned trades and practical skills.
Write a brief description here
Students could only speak English in the school.
(*from the National Museum of the American Indian)
Closure of Boarding Schools
In 1928, Lewis Meriam led research on the conditions of Indian boarding schools. He produced the Meriam Reports or "The Problem of Indian Administration" and detailed the horrendous conditions that American Indian children were living in. This report helped close many Indian boarding schools, with most being completely shut down by the 1970s. In 2021, a federal investigation reported at least 973 documented deaths of Indian youth while attending U.S. boarding schools. Many of these sites contain marked and unmarked graves.
Sherman Indian High School cemetery in Riverside, California
(*from the Native American Rights Fund)
Legacy and Memory
Today, the few remaining Indian boarding schools teach Native American culture and traditions. The toll of Indian boarding schools has had a significant impact on Native American tribes. However, Native American tribes have remained resilient and continue their efforts to preserve their culture through language revitalization programs, cultural education, and honoring boarding school survivors. September 30th is recognized as a national day of remembrance for the Indian boarding school survivors.
(*from the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition)
Survivor Experiences
In recent years, many survivors of Indian boarding schools have spoken out about their experiences. While many survivors talk of negative experiences, others had fond memories of their time attending the schools. As you watch the videos on this page and the next, notice the differences and similarities in the survivor stories.
Survivor Experiences
Question #1
Question #2
Question #3
Question #4
Question #5
Thank you for completing this lesson on Oklahoma Indian boarding schools!
Indian Civilization Fund Act
Congress created a fund to administer the education, healthcare, and rations promised to Tribal nations under treaties with the United States. (*from congress.gov)
History of Chilocco
From 1884 until the early 1930s Chilocco operated according to a template devised by U.S. Army officer Richard H. Pratt at Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. The large off-reservation schools used rigorous military discipline and stressed instruction in trades and manual and domestic labor—known as "actual work."
https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=CH042
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The BIA was created in 1824 by Secretary of War John C. Calhoun. The BIA initially dealt with federal policies designed to terminate, relocate, and assimilate American Indians and tribal Nations. (*from bia.gov)
Trail of Tears
In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, which became known as the Trail of Tears. This forced the Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Muscogee (Creek) nations out of their homelands to land west of the Mississippi river. (*from the Office of the Historian)
Dawes Act
In 1887, Congress passed the General Allotment Act, or 'Dawes Act". This law allowed the President to divide indian territory into allotments to be given to Native Americans who registered on a tribal roll (Dawes Roll). (*from the National Archives)
History of Riverside
The school’s origins can be traced back to Quaker missionaries, who founded what was then called the Wichita-Caddo School in 1871. Located at the old Wichita Indian Agency, the school was part of the federal government’s early efforts to educate Native American children. By 1878–79, Riverside was relocated one mile west to its current site along the Washita River, where it became a permanent and structured learning environment under the official name Riverside Indian School.
https://ris.bie.edu/our-school/our-history
History of Chilocco
From 1884 until the early 1930s Chilocco operated according to a template devised by U.S. Army officer Richard H. Pratt at Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. The large off-reservation schools used rigorous military discipline and stressed instruction in trades and manual and domestic labor—known as "actual work."
https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=CH042
Oklahoma Indian Boarding Schools
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Transcript
Oklahoma Indian Boarding Schools
Education through Assimilation
Start
Overview
In this lesson, you will analyze the effects of federal policy to assimilate Native American children through the use of boarding schools. At the end of the lesson, you will be able to,
This presentation has interactive elements. Please be sure to click on graphics and videos to view the full content. There is also an icon at the top of the pages that points out interactive content.
Introduction
In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the federal government of the United States began planning how Native American tribes could coexist in the nation. The government invested in 'educating' and 'civilizing' Indian people. The goal was to assimilate them to adopt the European American way of life.
Navajo student Tom Torlino, when he entered Carlisle Indian Industrial School, and then three years later.
(*from the National Museum of the American Indian)
Timeline
1819
In the early 1800s, in response to assimilation policies, some Native American nations began incorporating their tribal languages and English into their education systems. Christian missionary groups and the federal government would begin founding boarding schools to pass on Euro-American values. Several policies were presented to aid in establishing boarding schools. Many Native American families were promised better living conditions and rich educations for their children, while others were removed from their homes and sent to these schools.
Indian Civilization Act Fund
1824
Creation of the "BIA"
1830
Indian Removal Act
1887
General Allotment Act
(*from the National Museum of the American Indian)
"Kill the Indian...save the man"
-Richard Henry Pratt
Richard Henry Pratt, founder of Carlisle, led by the motto "kill the indian, save the man". He believed American Indian children could become successful U.S. citizens if they were to abandon their culture and adopt Euro-American traits.
The Carlisle Indian Industrial School was founded in 1879 and operated for nearly 30 years. It would become the model for boarding schools. The school was operated under a military-style format.
(*from the National Park Service)
Oklahoma Indian Boarding Schools
The U.S. Department of the Interior identified 87 Indian boarding schools in Oklahoma, more than any other state. Some of the most notable Oklahoma Indian boarding schools include Chilocco Indian Agricultural School, Riverside Indian School, and Carter Seminary (formerly Bloomfield Academy).
Notable Oklahoma Indian Boarding Schools
Riverside Indian School, located in Anadarko, is the nation's oldest federally operated Indian boarding school and is one of four still remaining.
Riverside Indian School
(*from the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture)
Chilocco Indian Agricultural School
Chilocco was founded in 1883, as a federal off-reservation boarding school set out to house, civilize, Christianize, educate, and transform American Indian children.
(*from the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture)
Assimilation Tactics
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Upon arrival to a boarding school, Native American children were forced to cut their hair and their personal belongings were taken.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Boys were required to wear uniforms, while girls would wear dresses. The students would march in formations. This stripped children of their sense of identity.
Students learned math, science, and other academic subjects. They also learned skills like agriculture, carpentry, and cooking. This aided in erasing their traditional Native skills and culture.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
The use of an English-only policy forced a loss of Native language. Students were punished if they were caught speaking in their tribal language.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Uniforms & Military Drills
New Apperance
Title
Title
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
Students were made to look and dress like white Americans.
Students were required to wear a uniform and mimic military life.
Title
Labor Focused
English-Only Policy
Title
Write a brief description here
Students learned trades and practical skills.
Write a brief description here
Students could only speak English in the school.
(*from the National Museum of the American Indian)
Closure of Boarding Schools
In 1928, Lewis Meriam led research on the conditions of Indian boarding schools. He produced the Meriam Reports or "The Problem of Indian Administration" and detailed the horrendous conditions that American Indian children were living in. This report helped close many Indian boarding schools, with most being completely shut down by the 1970s. In 2021, a federal investigation reported at least 973 documented deaths of Indian youth while attending U.S. boarding schools. Many of these sites contain marked and unmarked graves.
Sherman Indian High School cemetery in Riverside, California
(*from the Native American Rights Fund)
Legacy and Memory
Today, the few remaining Indian boarding schools teach Native American culture and traditions. The toll of Indian boarding schools has had a significant impact on Native American tribes. However, Native American tribes have remained resilient and continue their efforts to preserve their culture through language revitalization programs, cultural education, and honoring boarding school survivors. September 30th is recognized as a national day of remembrance for the Indian boarding school survivors.
(*from the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition)
Survivor Experiences
In recent years, many survivors of Indian boarding schools have spoken out about their experiences. While many survivors talk of negative experiences, others had fond memories of their time attending the schools. As you watch the videos on this page and the next, notice the differences and similarities in the survivor stories.
Survivor Experiences
Question #1
Question #2
Question #3
Question #4
Question #5
Thank you for completing this lesson on Oklahoma Indian boarding schools!
Indian Civilization Fund Act
Congress created a fund to administer the education, healthcare, and rations promised to Tribal nations under treaties with the United States. (*from congress.gov)
History of Chilocco
From 1884 until the early 1930s Chilocco operated according to a template devised by U.S. Army officer Richard H. Pratt at Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. The large off-reservation schools used rigorous military discipline and stressed instruction in trades and manual and domestic labor—known as "actual work."
https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=CH042
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The BIA was created in 1824 by Secretary of War John C. Calhoun. The BIA initially dealt with federal policies designed to terminate, relocate, and assimilate American Indians and tribal Nations. (*from bia.gov)
Trail of Tears
In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, which became known as the Trail of Tears. This forced the Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Muscogee (Creek) nations out of their homelands to land west of the Mississippi river. (*from the Office of the Historian)
Dawes Act
In 1887, Congress passed the General Allotment Act, or 'Dawes Act". This law allowed the President to divide indian territory into allotments to be given to Native Americans who registered on a tribal roll (Dawes Roll). (*from the National Archives)
History of Riverside
The school’s origins can be traced back to Quaker missionaries, who founded what was then called the Wichita-Caddo School in 1871. Located at the old Wichita Indian Agency, the school was part of the federal government’s early efforts to educate Native American children. By 1878–79, Riverside was relocated one mile west to its current site along the Washita River, where it became a permanent and structured learning environment under the official name Riverside Indian School.
https://ris.bie.edu/our-school/our-history
History of Chilocco
From 1884 until the early 1930s Chilocco operated according to a template devised by U.S. Army officer Richard H. Pratt at Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. The large off-reservation schools used rigorous military discipline and stressed instruction in trades and manual and domestic labor—known as "actual work."
https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=CH042