Santa Fe boarding school
I reviewed the video on Educating to End Inequity. I thought this was a very noteworthy source within our resources to acknowledge. It is my opinion this was chosen as the material for this class to show some of the changes that are occurring within Native American Culture and a great example of the preservation of culture by Pueblo Indians.
Santa Fe Indian School was opened in 1890 as an Indian boarding school. The Department of Indian Affairs created this school along with several other boarding schools to “Assimilate native children to American Culture”. Joel Spring, Professor of Educational Studies describes the intent of the Santa Fe Indian School as “a way to deculture Indians. (Video).
In 1975 The Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act changed the control of such schools like Santa Fe Indian School who gained control of their school in 1976. This allowed contracts with tribal governments to receive Federal Services. These contracts gave grants to tribes to disburse as they felt necessary. It also gave tribes the right to operate their own schools. Since then, over 70 schools have been operated by tribes and not the government.
As I viewed this video I began to realize the very importance of schools like Santa Fe Indian School. It gives native children the opportunity to learn and preserve their culture. I really enjoyed listening to teachers explain from multiple points. I found myself very intrigued. They use their own language, beliefs, and philosophies in their own schools. It brings elements of Native American culture into the classroom and reinforces native Identity. The school also tries to hire as many qualified Native American teachers as possible for the children to learn and identify from.
I also enjoyed learning that the children in this school are a priority within their community. The Pueblo community has joined with the school to create community-based education with a combination of environmental science and tribal government. This model of learning takes children out of classrooms and into the community for hands on learning experiences. According to the Santa Fe School superintendent, a third to a half of Native American high schools students drop out. The hands on approach include them and keep them involved. The children are learning things that are relevant to their tribal community as well as from scientific point. The idea is to create a learning experience that keeps Native Children engaged in learning while exposing them to things important to the tribal community.
Reference:
Educating to End Inequity. Films Media Group. Retrieved July 15, 2017 from http://fod.infobase.com.library.esc.edu/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=11505&loid=1864#
History and Culture. Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act-1975. Retrieved July 15, 2017 from www.partnership.org.
I also found this video fascinating. It brought home to me the extent to which Indian peoples have been deprived over the years. To make a comparison, I live in an ethnic religious community and attended religious private schools my whole life. I can't imagine I'd be the person I am today without that education. In other words, my education within the belief system cemented my identity as an ethnic religious person. In depriving Indian people of the opportunity to educate their own children, the U.S. Government crippled the tribes. I hope the new legislation and the opportunity exemplified by the new school helps the tribes rebound from that devastated place.
ReplyDeleteAs I watched this video, I found myself becoming very frustrated. I tried to envision how I would feel, not necessarily as a child who had participated in Americanized education but as an adult after having been through this education. I think that I would be torn between the appreciation of furthering myself in the world as it is today and the frustration that unbeknownst to me, the underlying motivation of "educating" away my heritage and customs in order to have me assimilate into the American society being setup in my country.
ReplyDeleteThe new acts that allow the Native Americans to run their schools and teach of the Native American heritage and culture should help to bring a balance back to these tribes.
I think that any child exposed to multi culture experiences is a positive. I would love my own children to be able to experience more than what is taught in community school. For example, my children are of different ethnic backgrounds. How great would it be for them to know their Hungarian background or even their Native American heritage? I really enjoyed listening to them learn and relate to their heritage at the same time.
ReplyDeleteThe video was interesting. It made me wonder how I would have felt as an adult who had suffered in the hands of the government. The feeling of distrust on the government would last forever for me. It is right for all people who live in America to be able to teach in schools geared toward the Native American teachings. It would give the children the right that has never been afforded to them nor their families.
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ReplyDeleteI found the video disturbing in many ways, but it made me do a little research I read an interesting article about Canada and their boarding schools for aboriginal children.
Deleteover 150,000 native children were forced into government boarding schools. The goal of these school much like their counterparts in the united states was to assimilate native children into white society by "killing the Indian in them" Over 6000 native children would die at these schools.I never really thought about Canada's dark history involving its indigenous population.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/06/canada-dark-history-abuse-residential-schools-150603063117033.html