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Indian Civilization Act
At missionary schools, as a result of the Indian Civilization Act, Native Americans were shorn of their long hair, restricted from practicing their Native American Culture, and forced to learn Euro-American ideals and morals. The goal of this act was to eradicate and diminish as many tribes as possible, and indoctrinate them with white culture and civility. Genuine concern for Native populations was not the motivation for mission schools, but rather, power was. -
Indian Civilization Act
The Indian Civilization Act has also created change in U.S. education because of the lasting impact of mission schools. Mission schools are still present in the United States today, and are focused on spreading religious messages through educational lenses. While mission schools began as a way to "reform" Native Americans, they have evolved into less oppressive organizations that attempt to indoctrinate all who are interested, rather than just a singular race as means of purification. -
Indian Civilization Act
The Indian Civilization Act changed the landscape of US Education because it was the very first initiation of education for Native Americans. Not only this, but the mission schools as a result of the act are examples of how religion can play a role in education and the effects of this on those involved. The Indian Civilization Act also brought about a plethora of mental and physical sufferings, which defined how Euro-Americans thought Native Americans should be educated. -
Indian Civilization Act
The Indian Civilization Act has also had further implications in regards to education in present day, due to the generational trauma that was produced as a result of missionary schools and what would come after. The Indian Civilization Act was the first domino in the line of many others that were determined to assimilate Native Americans and destroy their cultures. This is why it is important today to encourage everyone to appreciate their own personal cultures and to be proud of their heritage. -
Indian Civilization Act
To conclude this review of the Indian Civilization Act, it can be assumed that this legal action taken by John Monroe certainly altered the role of Euro-Americans in the education of Native Americans. White people were now tasked with stripping Native Americans of their cultures and replacing it with a more civilized one. This would result in the mass loss of Native American cultures, which creates issues both in school and in the homes of those with Native American ancestors. -
Indian Civilization Act
The Indian Civilization Act of 1819 awarded up to $10,000 a year to individuals who were willing to civilize and educate Native Americans, preferably through religious means. John Monroe, who was the president at the time, signed this act into the law with the support of Congress. Due to the Indian Civilization Act of 1819, many mission schools were created, which were ideally made to convert Native Americans to Christianity, which would aid in their assimilation.
Photo: (The Guardian, 2020) -
Carlisle Indian Industrial School
The Carlisle Indian School's mission was to shape identity, however, they ended up forcing unwanted transformation upon many Native American Students. The results were disastrous, and many lives were lost as a result. Nevertheless, the Carlisle Indian School was the first educational organization that offered Native Americans the opportunity to learn. -
Carlisle Indian Industrial School
The Carlisle Indian Industrial School created change in the landscape of US education because it was the first school that was created primarily for Native American children. Furthermore, it was unique because their method of education was to force out their Native American culture and replace it with that of the Euro-American. The Carlisle Indian School faculty was not influenced by their desire to help others, but rather by issues of race. -
Carlisle Indian Industrial School
While the Carlisle Indian School did close in 1918, it left an impact on how society viewed Native Americans and ideas on how they could be "reformed". The Carlisle Indian School marked the start of the idea that to assimilate Native Americans into Euro-American culture was to give them the greatest knowledge. This is an indicator of how race has impacted and shaped education. -
Carlisle Indian Industrial School
Present day educators can reflect upon the Carlisle Indian School to understand the cultures and histories of Native American students they may have in their classroom, and to uplift their voices and remove any barriers. -
Carlisle Indian Industrial School
The Carlisle Indian School was offered as an opportunity for Native American children to learn English to eventually benefit their individual tribe's, but this was merely a trick used to obtain as many children as possible to assimilate and "save". This is reflective of how race has been used to manipulate and oppress over the years, and implies the importance of understanding and avoiding similar behavior in present educational practices. -
Carlisle Indian Industrial School
The Carlisle Indian Industrial School shaped the educational landscape in the United States because it was, and continues to be, controversial. While some believe that the Carlisle Indian School truly thought they were acting in the best interests of their Native American pupils, the trauma, grief, and overall negative implications of this boarding school cannot be ignored. The Carlisle Indian School coerced Native American children into a negative educational experience, which is unethical. -
Carlisle Indian Industrial School
The Carlisle Indian Industrial School was the very first boarding school for Native Americans that opened in 1879 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The goal of this school was to assimilate Native Americans into the mainstream, and predominantly white, culture. At this time, Native Americans were viewed as savages who were in desperate need of the white man's aid if they ever hoped of becoming civilized members of society.
Photo: (U.S. National Parks Service, 2016) -
The Meriam Report
The Meriam Report criticized the Indian Office and how they were handling the education of Native Americans. The 1920s defined the Progressive Era of education, and many educators thought the way Native Americans were being educated was outdated and ineffective. For example, the Meriam Report details how by removing Native Americans from their natural environment, their natural learning processes were disrupted. The Meriam Report is defined by unethical findings in Native American schools. -
The Meriam Report
The Meriam Report changed the landscape of U.S. education, specifically that of Native Americans, because it brought to the public's attention how poorly they were being treated. The Meriam Report claimed that for Native Americans to become civilized instead of poor and uneducated, their society needed to be nurtured, rather than tossed to the side. The publicity of the Meriam Report resulted in widespread knowledge of the mistreatment of Native Americans, and many worked towards change. -
The Meriam Report
The findings of the Meriam Report angered many Americans who were sympathetic towards Native Americans and their mistreatment. This led to the creation of new and positive legislation within the following decade regarding the health, education, and land acquisition of Native Americans. Many Euro-Americans were realizing that the boarding school system for Native Americans was broken, and not child-centered whatsoever. This would also eventually lead to the end of the boarding school era. -
The Meriam Report
Another reason why the Meriam Report is important in Native American education history is because it enabled the shift from using student labor to save money to free public education for Native Americans. The Meriam Report played the role as the informant to the public about the lives of Native Americans and what society could do to help Native Americans who had been oppressed. The Meriam Report was popular during this time due to Progressive ideas centered on positive self-image and identity. -
The Meriam Report
To conclude, the Meriam Report was an evocative document that outlined the hardships of Native Americans during the 1920s, as a result of forced attendance at militaristic style boarding schools. It altered the way Euro-Americans thought about Native Americans and their lifestyle, and caused them to be more empathetic and understanding. Furthermore, the findings set precedent for a change in how Native Americans were educated, and many new laws and legislations would be passed in reflection. -
The Meriam Report
The Meriam Report, which resulted from an investigation of Native American schools by the Brookings Institution was published by the Johns Hopkins Press in 1928. Reservations remained in poverty despite the efforts of progressives of the time, so they decided to research schools for Native Americans to learn more about the purpose, as well as the effects on children. Investigators discovered that faculty at Indian Schools were using students for labor and neglecting them.
Photo: (Wikitree) -
Johnson O'Malley Act
The Johnson O'Malley Act, which was passed in Congress in 1934, required the U.S. Secretary of Interior to create contracts with states that would pay for the education of Native American students. This was the end of the boarding schools for Native Americans, who were now allowed to be educated in public schools. Before 1934, contracts regarding Native American education were individual with selective schools, which means that this act made education more accessible.
Photo: (Sudrum.com, 2019) -
Johnson O'Malley Act
The Johnson O'Malley Act would later lead to educational programs to help qualifying Native American students explore their culture, language, and academic ability. Schools receive JOM funding to support Native American learners and prevent them from dropping out or failing. This act opened the doors for Native American students and provided them with the opportunity to recognize their potentials. -
Johnson O'Malley Act
The Johnson O'Malley Act created change in the landscape of United States education history because it entered Native American students into public schools and created diversity and inclusion. Native Americans were no longer being forced into boarding schools and becoming whitewashed by Euro-Americans. In 1934, when the JOM Act passed, Native American students were protected under the law and provided funding to support their educational endeavors. This was a big step forward for U.S. education. -
Johnson O'Malley Act
In addition, this act is important and transformative to U.S. education because Native American students were being celebrated rather than ignored or abused. The Johnson O'Malley act would change how many educators taught, and what information they would teach. For example, the programs under JOM encourage teachers to embrace their student's cultural heritages, and because of this, Native American culture is embedded more often in the curriculum. This fostered feelings of support and progress. -
Johnson O' Malley Act
In conclusion of the Johnson O'Malley Act, this act transformed how Native American students were educated, and provided them with opportunities and experiences that they had not had before. The JOM Act would also set the precedent for further legislation protecting Native American students and tribal members in general. Most importantly, the JOM Act provided a victimized minority group the ability to learn, observe, and create, which impacted many Native Americans around the world. -
Johnson O'Malley Act
The JOM Act is also significant in U.S. education because it seemed to be a symbol of peace from Euro-Americans towards Native Americans. For years, they had been mistreated and even murdered, but they were extended the olive branch of free public education. While this doesn't make up for what happened, it set the United States on the right path. Furthermore, it was reflective of the educational beliefs of Progressives, who were prominent policy makers at the time. -
The First Tribal College
In 1968, the very first tribal college was Navajo Community College, which would later be renamed Diné College in 1977. This college was established due to the high rates of Native Americans who were dropping out of college. The Navajo tribal council believed that a college created specifically for Native Americans would help them feel supported and accepted, and would improve their academic proficiency. Other tribes adopted this idea, and soon it spread.
Photo: (Tribal College Journal, 2021) -
The First Tribal College
The Navajo Community College, and the tribal colleges that would follow, uplifted a plethora rural communities since tribal colleges are usually on or near reservations. Tribal colleges will sometimes serve non-tribal members, but they do not receive most of the funding and scholarships that Native American students do. In 1978, the United States would eventually pass the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act, which solidified tribal colleges place in society. -
The First Tribal College
Furthermore, the creation of tribal colleges is significant because as a result, more Native Americans were attending and succeeding at higher education. This meant that graduates were more likely to encourage their children to attend tribal colleges as well, and resulted in less generational trauma and poverty. By providing tribal colleges to Native American students, they were able to break cycles that were created in response to the trauma and manipulation that they endured for many years. -
The First Tribal College
In overview of the introduction of tribal colleges, with the first one being Navajo Community College, this event holds major significance in U.S. education. Without tribal colleges, numbers of Native Americans students enrolled in college would have continued to decline. While the number of Native Americans in higher education is still limited, these tribal colleges have been the most influential educational institutions that exist specifically for Native Americans and their development. -
The First Tribal College
The introduction of tribal colleges changed the landscape in U.S. education because it created the idea of an institution that Native American students felt that they could belong to. These colleges are even more significant compared to public schools for Native Americans because they embrace the culture of their student's tribes, as well as their personal goals and ambitions. At tribal colleges, students are often given the opportunity to learn their native language, which is also impactful. -
The First Tribal College
Another reason why tribal colleges were fundamental to U.S. education is because it focused on preserving Native American cultures, rather than destroying them. Many Native Americans are wary of schooling because of the oppression experienced by their ancestors during the 1800s, and tribal colleges helped them to feel secure and honored. In addition, tribal colleges prepare Native Americans to be comfortable and functioning members of society, which will create a better society overall.