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1. Overview of Native American Boarding Schools

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1. Overview of Native American Boarding Schools

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What were Native American Boarding Schools?

From the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, the U.S. government established Native American boarding schools as part of a larger effort to assimilate Indigenous children into mainstream American society. One of the most well-known institutions was Carlisle Indian Industrial School, founded in 1879. These schools were designed to strip Native children of their cultural identity and impose Euro-American values upon them.

The boarding school system operated under military-style discipline, and students were subjected to strict regulations aimed at erasing their Indigenous heritage. Upon entering the schools, Native children:

Had their hair cut short and were required to wear Western-style clothing.

Were forbidden from speaking their native languages and forced to communicate only in English.

Were given new Anglo-American names, erasing their original identities.

These policies were based on the philosophy of Richard Henry Pratt, founder of Carlisle, who famously stated:

“Kill the Indian, Save the Man.”

This phrase encapsulated the assimilationist ideology behind the boarding schools: to eliminate Indigenous identity and replace it with Western ideals.

The image above is an excerpt from Richard Henry Pratt’s speech on Native American education, delivered at the Nineteenth Annual Conference of Charities and Correction (1892). This speech outlined Pratt’s belief that Native Americans should be forcibly assimilated into Western society by eradicating their cultural identity.

The phrase “Kill the Indian in him, and save the man…” reflects the core mission of Native American boarding schools: to transform Indigenous children into Westernized individuals by systematically stripping away their heritage.

This ideology led to the implementation of harsh policies in boarding schools, where Native students were forcibly removed from their families, prohibited from speaking their languages, and subjected to strict disciplinary practices. While these schools were presented as institutions of education, they were in reality sites of cultural suppression and forced assimilation.

Source:
Richard H. Pratt, “The Advantages of Mingling Indians with Whites,” 1892. Reprinted in Americanizing the American Indians (Harvard University Press, 1973), pp. 260–271.

Link:

https://carlisleindian.dickinson.edu/teach/kill-indian-him-and-save-man-r-h-pratt-education-native-americans

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2. Boarding School Policies and Forced Assimilation

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2. Boarding School Policies and Forced Assimilation

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How Were Native American Children Forced to Assimilate?

Native American boarding schools were designed to systematically erase Indigenous identity through strict policies that regulated every aspect of students’ lives. The assimilation process was enforced in various ways, from physical transformation to cultural suppression and disciplinary control.

Upon entering these schools, Native children were subjected to harsh regulations meant to strip away their heritage:

Mandatory Western Dress and Haircuts

Native students’ traditional clothing was confiscated and replaced with Western-style uniforms.

Their hair was cut short, a deeply symbolic act since long hair often held spiritual and cultural significance in many Indigenous traditions.

Prohibition of Native Languages

Students were forbidden from speaking their Native languages and were required to communicate exclusively in English.

Violating this rule often resulted in harsh punishments, including physical punishment and isolation.

Strict Military-Style Discipline

Boarding schools followed a military-style structure, enforcing rigid schedules and strict rules.

Students were expected to march in formation, perform manual labor, and adhere to a highly disciplined lifestyle.

Christianization and Name Changes

Indigenous spiritual practices were banned, and students were required to attend Christian religious services.

Native names were replaced with Anglo-American names, further disconnecting children from their heritage.

These policies were implemented to assimilate Native children into Western society while eradicating their connection to their own cultures. However, these forced changes often led to trauma and loss of identity for generations of Indigenous families.

This photograph depicts a classroom at Pawnee Boarding School, where Native American children are seen wearing Western-style uniforms under a strict, regimented environment. The short haircuts and formal clothing reflect the forced assimilation policies implemented in these schools. The rigid classroom structure and military-style discipline aimed to erase Indigenous identity and instill Euro-American values.

Source: Digital Public Library of America
🔗 View Original Image

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3. Cultural Expression and Resistance in Boarding Schools

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3. Cultural Expression and Resistance in Boarding Schools

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How Did Native Students Resist Cultural Erasure?

Although Native American boarding schools were designed to assimilate Indigenous children and erase their cultural identity, students found ways to resist and express their heritage. Resistance did not always take the form of open rebellion; instead, it often appeared in subtle, creative ways, such as art, storytelling, and secret cultural practices.

One of the most compelling examples of this resistance is the Rosebud School Album, a collection of drawings created by Native students. These drawings incorporate traditional Native clothing, animals, and cultural symbols, showing that students continued to embrace their heritage even under strict assimilation policies.

Art as Resistance

The Rosebud School Album demonstrates how students used art to retain and express their Indigenous identity.

The drawings often depicted Native clothing, ceremonies, and traditions, showing that cultural knowledge persisted despite institutional suppression.

This silent form of defiance allowed students to record and preserve their heritage, even within the confines of a boarding school.

The drawing above is part of the Rosebud School Album, a collection of ledger drawings created by Native students at the Rosebud Agency School. The album was sent in 1890 to the Pierson family in LeRoy, New York, by Reverend William Saul, a Native deacon at the Rosebud Agency.

The Pierson brothers had previously sent school supplies and reading materials to the Rosebud school, likely the Cut Meat School, where Mary Parmalee, a family friend, was teaching. The album remained in the Pierson family home until 2003, when it was inherited by Nancy McPherson Norman.

Despite being placed in a system designed to erase their cultural identity, students used art as a means of resistance and self-expression. This illustration features traditional clothing, animals, and cultural symbols, demonstrating that students found ways to retain and celebrate their heritage even within the confines of boarding schools. Art became a powerful tool for preserving Indigenous traditions and resisting forced assimilation.

Source: Plains Ledger Art Digital Publishing Project

🔗 View Original Artwork

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4. Native American Art Education: Contradictions and Student Resistance

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4. Native American Art Education: Contradictions and Student Resistance

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If Native art was included in boarding school education, was it truly being preserved, or was it being reshaped to fit a different narrative?

Boarding schools aimed to erase Native identity, yet they still included Native art in their curriculum—though not necessarily in ways that respected its cultural roots. Angel DeCora, a Winnebago artist and teacher at Carlisle, tried to push back against this contradiction. She agreed to teach under one condition: "I shall not be expected to teach in the white man's way. I must have complete liberty to develop the art of my own race and to apply it, as far as possible, to various forms of art industries and crafts” (Gere, p.54). But even with this insistence, the system continued to shape Native art to fit Western ideals. DeCora herself admitted the difficulty of balancing her artistic expression with the expectations placed on her, saying that while she sometimes longed to paint landscapes, she focused on design because it was "the best channel in which to convey the native Indian's decorative talent” (Gere, p.54).

Students at these schools, however, didn’t always see the value in learning about their own artistic traditions. DeCora described feeling discouraged when she introduced Native art at Carlisle, realizing that many students no longer saw it as relevant to them: "I experienced the discouragement of realizing that I was addressing members of an alien race” (Gere, p.55). One student even questioned why they should care at all: "We don’t know anything about Indian work and what good will it do us anyway?" (Gere, p.55). These reactions show how deeply the boarding school system had influenced Native youth, making them view their own culture through the lens of assimilation.

Despite educators like DeCora trying to preserve Native artistic expression, the broader system worked against it, treating Native art as something to be controlled rather than celebrated. This contradiction—teaching Native art while discouraging real cultural connection—reflects the larger tensions within boarding school education.

Source:

Gere, Anne Ruggles. “Indian Heart/White Man’s Head: Native-American Teachers in Indian Schools, 1880-1930.” History of Education Quarterly, vol. 45, no. 1, 2005, pp. 38–65. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20461923. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

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The legacy of Native American boarding schools is one of cultural loss but also resilience. These institutions aimed to erase Indigenous identity, yet Native students found ways to resist through art, storytelling, and other acts of defiance. The impact of forced assimilation led to intergenerational trauma and the erosion of Native languages and traditions.

However, the survival of Indigenous culture demonstrates the strength of Native communities. Today, efforts to reclaim Native languages, revive traditional art, and educate the public help in healing and empowerment. The contradictions within the boarding school system, such as teaching Native art while suppressing cultural pride, reveal the complexities of forced assimilation.

Understanding this history is about more than acknowledging past injustices—it is about supporting cultural preservation and self-determination. As Native communities reclaim their narratives, it remains crucial to honor Indigenous voices and ensure their heritage endures.