Native American Schooling Essay -- essays research papers

native Australian SchoolingFor many an(prenominal) years Native American commonwealth have been discriminated against in the unify States as well as in the Public School system. descent with the common- trail movement of the 1830s and 1840s, which attempted to stop the flow toward a more various(a) society, the work systems have continued to be geared exclusively toward white Anglo-Saxon ProtestantS (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants). Native Americans have been forced to abandon their culture and conform to our American ways (Rothenberg, 1998, pp. 258-259.) Thomas L. McKenney focused on deculturalizing the children through public knowledge (Spring, 1997, p. 16). McKenney served as superintendent of Indian trade for fourteen years. After that portion was abolished in 1823, he was appointed as the first head of the side of Indian affairs. His idea was that a mortal could civilize the Native American children in schools when they were away from their parents. He tried to force assimilation on these Native American children. He wanted them to convert to Christianity, and adopt the WASPs beliefs and morals. In 1827 McKenney wrote to the Secretary of War, James Barbour stating that, children, who only needed to be protected from evil . . . and under the conditions of isolation and education Indians could be down in one generation (Spring, 1997, p.18). Missionaries were sent to the tribes to spread the word of Christianity under the Civilization Act. Today the come of sending in missionaries would be viewed as a violation of the First Amendment. The amendment states that there shall be no political support of any religion. In that time though they were still bloodline their school day with a reading from the Protestant Bible (Spring, 1997, p. 18). The Presbyterian and Congregational churches brought into existence the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) in 1810. Their mission was ecumenic and they sent missionaries abroad as wel l as the Native American tribes. According to Spring, the missionaries viewed the Native Americans as foreign heathen. A powerful sheath of the path to deculturalization was Reverend James Ramseys visit to a Choctaw school in 1846. As quoted in the Spring text, Ramsey stated, I showed them on a map that the people who speak the English language, and who occupied so small a smash of ... ... p. 103), which encouraged Indian involvement in the school systems. This required a separate local committee to represent the population if the majority of the school board was not Native American. This committee was given control everyplace all Native American education programs affiliated with the United States government. The ideals of this act were expanded upon in 1988 with the Tribally Controlled Schools Act. This act provided for grants to be given directly to tribes to computer storage the operation of their schools. With these positive modifications equality is in the possible, but distant future. Native Americans have been oppressed for hundreds of years since the their land was taken from them. The United States Government simply expects the Native Americans to assimilate to our society. Their culture and tribal ways have been stolen without a second thought. The government should provide few sort of retribution for these people. Perhaps Native American culture should be taught in our schools as well as American culture. Hopefully, someday everything result be equal in the world as well as in the public school system no matter what the persons heritage.