Surviving Education: The Untold Story of American Indian Boarding Schools

Author

Sandra Su'sana (Redpath) Ashley

Files

Graduation Date

2021

Document Type

Capstone Project

Degree

Master of Interdisciplinary Studies (MIS)

Degree Name

Interdisciplinary Studies

School or Department

Interdisciplinary Studies

Abstract

The history of federally-mandated American Indian boarding schools is one that is long overdue in the chronicles of American history. In North America, the original settlers did most of the speaking and precious little listening. In doing so, the traditional education of Native peoples was ignored, degraded, and labeled as “heathen.” Simply said, the Anglo-European considered his way “of life and learning” to be the only way to have value and direction. Consequently, social and political objectives aimed at wiping out any trace of Native American life. Today, Native voices work to reconfigure the position of the perceiver in relation to those perceived. It is only through accurate representation and relationships that we will begin to understand the severity of hardships that indigenous Americans have endured for centuries, and how generations of injustices have led to the intergenerational trauma that markedly impacts Native people today.

By organizing this information into a concise training manual for teachers, it aims to provide readily available classroom materials that will enhance the learning process – not only of the history of American Indian boarding schools, but also of the intricate worldview requiring a relationship with one’s environment. This was/is the premise for Native American thought and spiritual perspectives, and lays the groundwork for all future knowledge in the world of traditional native education. With study guides, classroom activities, videos, and discussion, the goal is to share cultural differences and gain accurate knowledge, understanding, and respect for one another.

After all, mitaku oyasin: we are all related.

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Recommended Citation

Ashley, Sandra Su'sana (Redpath), "Surviving Education: The Untold Story of American Indian Boarding Schools" (2021). Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects. 426.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/grad_portfolios/426