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In the 1910s, the United States government's policy toward Native Americans was one of forced assimilation, and its most powerful tool was the off-reservation boarding school. These schools were founded on an inhumane principle of eliminating the "Indian" to save the man. This means children were taken from families, usually by force, and put into boarding schools. At these schools, their hair would be cut, they would be dressed in military-style uniforms, and forced to abandon their native tongue. These gripping photographs show this profoundly complex time in American history and were often used as marketing material to show everyday Americans what kind of "progress" was being made by the policies. Looking back, these photos tell the heartbreaking story of a systematic effort to erase an identity, rather than a governmental success.
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#4
While Teaching On The Hopi Reservation In Arizona, Bratley Likely Posed This Image Of His Student Ruth Honavi Having Her Hair Made Up In The Butterfly Style
Final score:
5points
The structure of daily life in these schools was a lesson in itself. The rigid lines of students marching, the sparse functionality of the dormitories, and the emphasis on industrial labor were all designed to break down a worldview centered on community and nature, and replace it with one of rigid individualism and hierarchy. Every detail in these photographs, from the uniformed clothing to the barren walls of the classrooms, was a deliberate part of this immense and often brutal social experiment.
#13
Native American Girls Were Trained To Be Productive, Subservient Homemakers In The Mold Of Victorian Norms
#14
Boys Were Schooled In Farming, Carpentry, And Metalworking
Final score:
4points
#15
Living Conditions At The Schools Were Stark. Children Lay Three To A Bed At The Cantonment Boarding School On The Cheyenne And Arapaho Reservation
Final score:
4points
#16
At The Cantonment Boarding School, Children Erected Play Tipis That Allowed Them Some Measure Of Staying Connected To Their Plains Cultures
Final score:
4points
#19
Young Native American Children Learn To Sing A Song At The Carlisle Indian Industrial School
It is essential to look beyond the posed nature of these photographs and into the eyes of the children themselves. In their expressions, one can sometimes see a profound loneliness and a quiet, guarded watchfulness. This is the look of a child navigating a foreign world far from the warmth of family. They were taught to be ashamed of who they were, yet the very act of their survival within this system is a story of immense, unspoken strength.
#25
The Photographer Is Unknown, But It Was Likely Taken By Frank Fuller Avery, The Superintendent Of Fort Spokane Indian Boarding School
#27
A Photo Of Home Economics Class At The Pipestone Indian Training School In Minnesota With Several Girls In Aprons Working On Kitchen Tasks
#28
Students And Staff Of The Pipestone Indian Training School In Minnesota Posing For A Photo By A School Bus
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