Difference between revisions of "Week 11 Questions/Comments-327 09"
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Seth, it’s interesting to hear about pictures before and after the children went to these schools. Do you have any links to them? I wonder why precisely whites even bothered to run these schools if there was a widespread belief that the Chinese couldn’t be assimilated. How could they justify that belief if these schools proved that Chinese could be Westernized? -- Taylor Brann | Seth, it’s interesting to hear about pictures before and after the children went to these schools. Do you have any links to them? I wonder why precisely whites even bothered to run these schools if there was a widespread belief that the Chinese couldn’t be assimilated. How could they justify that belief if these schools proved that Chinese could be Westernized? -- Taylor Brann | ||
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| + | Actually in response to Seth’s comment about the physical changes being negligible compared to the spiritual changes, the physical changes were a really really large issue. For most tribes, hair was only cut during times of mourning, and it was expressed in practically all the children’s stories coming out of schools like Carlisle that having their hair cut was one of the most tragic things. Hair and clothing expressed identity, which is why the government enforced these things, and why it was so traumatic for kids who were in a sense losing their identity for a white one. To Taylor, just google image Carlisle Indian School. The pictures Seth talks about are numerous and very well known. You should be able to find many examples. -- Elyse Lawrence | ||
I agree with Allison, this was a very sad piece, both for the mother and Zitkala-Sa. It was interesting that the mother did not trust the missionaries and stated that they lie, yet she finally decides to let her eight year old child go with them. I also found it interesting that her mother makes the housing changes after Dawee comes back from being "educated." So the influence of the education is indeed working through the children in the efforts to change the way that the Native Americans lived. The fact that even Dawee, having been through the education experience provided by the missionaries, does not think Zitkala-Sa should go makes me wonder why the mother and even Zitkala-Sa did not listen to him. At the end, when Zitkala-Sa gets to the school, her description of how frightened she was was very sad. The men who came to Zitkala-Sa's village are referred to as missionaries. At this point, how large of a role did religious organizations play in taking Native American children to schools for the purpose of assimilation? Or was it a combined religious and educational purpose? Also, what kind of education they received at these schools would be interesting to know? -Nancy Lee | I agree with Allison, this was a very sad piece, both for the mother and Zitkala-Sa. It was interesting that the mother did not trust the missionaries and stated that they lie, yet she finally decides to let her eight year old child go with them. I also found it interesting that her mother makes the housing changes after Dawee comes back from being "educated." So the influence of the education is indeed working through the children in the efforts to change the way that the Native Americans lived. The fact that even Dawee, having been through the education experience provided by the missionaries, does not think Zitkala-Sa should go makes me wonder why the mother and even Zitkala-Sa did not listen to him. At the end, when Zitkala-Sa gets to the school, her description of how frightened she was was very sad. The men who came to Zitkala-Sa's village are referred to as missionaries. At this point, how large of a role did religious organizations play in taking Native American children to schools for the purpose of assimilation? Or was it a combined religious and educational purpose? Also, what kind of education they received at these schools would be interesting to know? -Nancy Lee | ||
