The creation of Indian boarding schools in the 18th and 19th centuries was a key component of the U.S. government’s broader strategy for dealing with Native American populations. The overall goals of the government during this period included the assimilation of Native Americans into Euro-American culture, the reduction of tribal sovereignty, and the commodification of Native lands.
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Assimilation: One of the primary aims of the boarding schools was to assimilate Native American children into mainstream American society. The belief at the time was that Native cultures were inferior and that by adopting Western customs, values, and languages, Native Americans could be "civilized." The boarding schools enforced English language use, Western education, and Christian religious practices, all aimed at eradicating Indigenous cultures and identities.
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Cultural Erasure: The schools were often places where cultural practices, languages, and traditions were discouraged or outright banned. Children were punished for speaking their native languages and practicing their cultural traditions. This systematic approach sought to erase Indigenous identities and replace them with a Eurocentric worldview.
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Reduction of Tribal Sovereignty: By targeting Native American children rather than whole communities, the government aimed to weaken the social and political structures of Indigenous nations. If children were educated in ways that fostered loyalty to the U.S. government rather than their tribes, it would diminish tribal authority and sovereignty over time.
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Economic Integration: The boarding schools also played a role in preparing Native American children to enter the wage labor force as part of a broader economic integration strategy. The education provided often focused on vocational training, which was intended to train Native individuals for jobs in a predominantly European-American economy, thereby promoting their economic dependency on Euro-American structures.
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Land and Resource Acquisition: As Native populations were pressured to assimilate and lose their identities, it also facilitated U.S. policies that aimed at acquiring Native lands. The reduction of tribal cohesion made it easier for the government to negotiate unfair treaties and push Indigenous populations onto reservations, thus opening up their lands to settler colonialism.
In summary, Indian boarding schools were instrumental in the U.S. government's strategy to assimilate Native Americans, weaken tribal identities, and facilitate land acquisition, all of which supported the broader agenda of expanding American territory and promoting Euro-American cultural hegemony over Indigenous peoples.
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