“Indian youths left behind the familiar world of tribal ways for the unfamiliar way of the white man’s school.”
– David Wallace Adams
– David Wallace Adams
Life in the Boarding Schools
Boarding schools varied greatly, but ultimately all were run like military camps with the primary purpose of abolishing American Indians' cultures.
"Thousands of Native American children were sent far from their homes to live in these schools and learn the ways of white culture. Many struggled with loneliness and fear away from their tribal homes and familiar customs. Some lost their lives to the influenza, tuberculosis, and measles outbreaks that spread quickly through the schools. Others thrived despite the hardships, formed lifelong friendships, and preserved their Indian identities" (Childers and Lawrence). |
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