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The Indian Boarding School System

The Indian schools in America signify another dark chapter, other than slavery, in the

U.S history. These institutions often perceived as industrial institutions prepared the Indian boy

for menial jobs such as providing labor in farms, while the girls were prepared to be better in

domestic chores. Indeed, these schools pursued the interest of the government with no special

consideration on the children, who were the victim of the government's biased notion. The Indian

boarding school suspiciously sought to restructure the minds of the Indian children and

personality by interfering with their cultural and spiritual connection with their ethnic

background.

In the late 19

century, the congress gave directives to the Commissioner of Indian affair

that he creates a new rule that forcibly takes the Indian children to the boarding schools. Indeed,

the law stipulated that the parents who defied this rule would not receive clothing and other

annuities from the Indian Office. In response, the agents serving in the Indian communities

captured children of four years or more from their homes and sent them to the Christian and

Government boarding school. Primarily, the government wanted to Americanize the Indians in

institutions run through the military structure.

The schedules' started early a 5.45 am, where bells or buglers awoke the poor children.

They were forced to march through many activities of the day throughout scheduled programs.

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They were to make the bed in the morning and brush their teeth while preparing for the industrial

calls. School routine started at 9 am. The student used the afternoons for the industrial works.

The schools can be remembered for its harsh disciplining. Some of these boarding

institutions had cells where students could be confined for several days. In the cell, they only ate

bread and water. In one instance, a young boy was punished by being compelled to wear as the

girls did. In another instance, one of the girl's hairs was cut short, so that she could resemble the

boys. The sanitary situations were also deplorable. In one instance in Minnesota, a boarding

school had to confront several diseases including measles, blood poisoning, and typhoid

trachoma, among others. The overcrowded dormitories caused the situation. The students were

also known to die from falls or drowning in the schools.

The kids were also overworked. For instance, some of them worked in the kitchen,

gardens, and barns. They were assigned tasks such as washing the dishes, floor, and tables. Other

categories were assigned duties related to sewing and ironing as well as carpentry. To continue

keeping the children away from their tribe, some of the schools instituted the outing program,

which in essence retained the children throughout the summer holidays. They were also

compulsorily taken to the white homes where they did odd jobs. One of the survivors of the

Indian school's ordeal, Dennis Banks, was abducted and taken to these institutions three hundred

miles away, at an early age of four years. He kept fleeing from this school, and each time he was

caught and beaten severely. Another student who also attempted to elope was caught and

required to chew lye soap. A similar punishment was levied to students who were found

speaking their tribal language.

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Surname 1 Student’s Name Professor’s Name Course Date The Indian Boarding School System The Indian schools in America signify another dark chapter, other than slavery, in the U.S history. These institutions often perceived as industrial institutions prepared the Indian boy for menial jobs such as providing labor in farms, while the girls were prepared to be better in domestic chores. Indeed, these schools pursued the interest of the government with no special consideration on the children, who were the victim of the government's biased notion. The Indian boarding school suspiciously sought to restructure the minds of the Indian children and personality by interfering with their cultural and spiritual connection with their ethnic background. In the late 19th century, the congress gave directives to the Commissioner of Indian affair that he creates a new rule that forcibly takes the Indian children to the boarding schools. Indeed, the law stipulated that the parents who defied this rule would not receive clothing and other annuities from the Indian Office. In response, the agents serving in the Indian communities captured children of four years or more from their homes and sent them to the Christian and Government boarding school. Primarily, the government wanted to Americanize the Indians in institutions run through the military structure. The schedules' started early a 5.45 am, where bells or buglers awoke the poor children. They were forced to march through many activiti ...
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