Indian Schools

Native American Assimilation into Western Culture passim the 1800s and the early 1900s, the American governing attempted to assimilate Native American children into the Western culture, with all the best intentions (Marr Intro). Through master(a) and secondary sources, we shape how this was d ace and the mistakes they do in doing it. Primary sources, which argon documents or some other sources of information created at or near the time an event occurred, are an essential part in understanding history.There are many primary sources in the essay Assimilation Through Education Indian boarding coachs in the peace-loving Northwest by Carolyn J. Marr including photographs, transcripts, journal entries, and government documents. The function of photographs has many advantages and disadvantages. Photographs are fairly accurate in describing an event. It gives the reader push-down store of evidence and a feel for how the subjects were feeling during the event by masking emotions or facial expressions that could not be expressed through create verbally word.On the other hand, they could be very biased as to show the harshest or best conditions possible. A photo is just a brief guess of a moment in time, and does not illustrate a satisfying event that a diary or journal might tell. Also, a photographer may be biased towards their own personal views, age, religion, social, economic, or political background all of which may influence what he or she will or wont photograph. Lastly, it is also not everlastingly clear where a photo was taken, why, and by whom. Secondary sources prove to dole out a very important role in interpreting history.They allow in documents, books, or articles, through interpretations by historians. Some books and documents used in Marrs essay are Carey C. Collins Oregons Carlisle Teaching America? at Chemawa Indian School, Carey C. Collins Through the Lens of Assimilation Edwin L. Chalcraft and Chemawa Indian School, and Michael C. C olemans American Indian Children at School. These sources explain the governments efforts to assimilate (the act of becoming part of something) Indians, particularly children, into the melting surge of American society. This took place from the 1800s through the 1920s (Marr Intro).I believe it was necessary for the government to attempt to introduce Indians into the American culture, but I do not believe they did it correctly. Greatening education, broadening religious and cultural views, and creating strong bonds between other students were some of the advantages of this movement. Kids also received running water, electricity, decent food and keen clothes. Unfortunately, the evil done greatly outweighed the good. They stole children away from their parents and it was done so rapidly, it didnt allow Indians to try and move themselves and their children into western culture.Taking away their escaped will, tearing them away from their parents, offering poor diets, overcrowding scho ols, poor medical attention, and uppity forced labor by the students proved to be some of the mistakes made by the governments push into the American culture (Marr dissever V). The institutions stressed work-related training to benefit the institution rather than the children, similar to slavery. It allowed the institutions to dangle less by forcing free labor onto the children in fields such as farming, cooking, cleaning, blacksmithing, carpentry, etc. Marr social occasion IV). This reduced the hired work unavoidable to run the large institutions. This type program allowed the students to learn trade one needs to survive, but for those who had ambitions to become something more, the institution would not allow it (Marr Part IV). In closing, Native American culture was attacked by our government in an attempt to better their lives. Unfortunately, they provided an atmosphere of slavery and oppression in the well-nigh literal interpretation of the words. Works Cited Collins, Ca rey C. Oregons Carlisle Teaching America? t Chemawa Indian School, Columbia The Magazine of Northwest History, Tacoma Washington State Historical Society, summer 1998. Collins, Carey C. Through the Lens of Assimilation Edwin L. Chalcraft and Chemawa Indian School, Oregon Historical quarterly v. 98, no. 14 (Winter 1997-98) 390-425. Coleman, Michael C. American Indian Children at School, 1950-1930. Jackson University coerce of Mississippi, 1993. Marr, Carolyn J. Assimilation Through Education Indian Boarding Schools in the Pacific Northwest. UW Libraries Digital Collections. Web. 09 Sept. 2010. .