Bleaching schools
Riley explores the tumultuous past of Residential "Bleaching" schools.
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Residential schools
Residential schools
By Riley Barta
By Riley Barta
*Warning* This article talks about racist stigmas and child abuse which may be hard for some readers.
In honor of Native American Heritage month, it is time to talk about residential schools. Residential schools were run by the government and churches throughout the United States and Canada. Schools were made to displace Indigenous people from their cultures. It is the responsibility of modern-day society to help those who have been harmed by these schools.
The first residential school to pick up fame was Carlisle Indian Industrial School (CIIS). CIIS opened in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1879, and ran for 39 years before shutting down in 1918. Its founder, Richard Henry Pratt, ran the foundation under his belief of “Kill the Indian in him and save the man.” Children were forced to completely abandon their culture. Anyone who refused would be disciplined with solitary confinement or corporal punishment. This attack on Native American children was picked up by several other residential schools. The ultimate goal of these schools was to fully eliminate any Native American traits a child might have. This is backed up by the Carlisle Indian School Project, which said, “The only hope for Native American survival was to shed all native culture and customs and assimilate fully into white American culture.”
Class of Native American children at Carlisle Indian Industrial School from The Why
Abuse was a prevalent factor in these schools. For many Native American children, their hair was an important part of their identity. However, at these schools, every child’s hair was cut into the same, uniform bowl cut. Students were rarely able to visit family and also were restrained from using their native language. Mary Annette Pember of The Atlantic wrote, “Survivors have described a culture of pervasive physical and sexual abuse at the schools.” Children were also severely malnourished and several passed away from the torturous environment of the schools. The students' parents were notified of their children’s deaths after they had already been buried, often in unmarked graves.
Tom Torlino, a student from Carlisle Indian Industrial School, gets a "before" and "after" photo taken, that served as an advertisement. Photo from "The Indigenous Foundation"
Why did parents let their children go to these schools in the first place? Well, most did not have a choice. Many lacked a better education choice for their children and did not know of the horrors that their children would soon face. Additionally, Indigenous parents were seen as incapable of raising children. According to Pressbooks, “Indigenous people were viewed as drunkards, thieves, lazy, selfish and emotionally uncaring, among other horrible traits.” The best option for many indigenous parents was to let their children go to schools. However, if they were to choose not to send their children to a residential school, parents could receive criminal punishment. Not having better school choices, major societal pressure, and legal blackmail cornered indigenous people into giving up their kids to the schools.
America and Canada have a long history of injustices toward Native Americans. It is our responsibility to remember the names of the lives lost due to prejudice and help those who have the misfortune of living through a racist system. We must inform ourselves of these issues, so as to not repeat them in the future.
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