Today we are watching the movie Our Spirits Don't Speak English. This is a film that shows what happened to Native Americans in regards to their culture. This is an extension of the reading activity you are doing in Literacy today. After the movie please complete the quick check.
This is a film that tells the story of Native Americans that were taken from their homes by the government and sent to a boarding school. This particular school is the Carlisle school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. (Though we don't go to Carlisle on our trip, it is only about 40 miles from Gettysburg.) This film will explore the ideas behind why the government sent the natives to the schools, and how the natives felt about being removed from their homes to be taught an entirely new culture, very different from their own.
Here are the todaysmeet links for each block. You may log into this to ask questions while you are viewing the movie. Both our sub, Mrs. Anderson, and myself will have access to this to answer your questions.
Regarding the Native American Boarding Schools, what left you most appalled? Why does this bother you?
Today (Day 2) we will examine the following questions:
1. What is culture? How do you see culture?
Start with the above question
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2. Why were the Natives sent to the schools? What did the Natives have to gain and what did the U.S. Govt. have to gain?
3. What do you think was the worst thing that happened to the Natives?
4. Why would the parents be willing to send them?
5. If this hadn't happened, do you think life would have been different, and how?
After we have gone over these questions as a class, I want you to read the following excerpts that are first hand accounts from different perspectives. After reading these, we are going to re-examine the questions above and see if it adjusts our thinking.
"We can end their existence among us as such separate people by a broad and generous system of English education and training, which will reach all the 50,000 children and in a few years remove all our trouble from them as a separate people and as separate tribes among us, and instead of feeding, clothing and caring for them from year to year, put them in condition to feed clothe and care for themselves. Our experiences in many individual cases in the last few years make it evident that not only may we fit him to go and come and abide in the land where ever he may choose, and so lose his identity"
"Late in the morning, my friend Judewin gave me a terrible warning. Judewin knew a few words of English; and she had overheard the paleface woman talk about cutting our long, heavy hair. Our mothers had taught us that only unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. Among our people, short hair was worn by mouners, and shingled hair by cowards!"......
I cried aloud, shaking my head all the while until I felt the cold blades of the scissors against my neck, and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my spirit".
Parent's Perspective (Begin reading in the second column where it starts, "My Dear Daughter". The letter is two paragraphs)