The end of the wars for the West during the 1800s marked an abrupt end to physical attacks on Indian tribes and eventually awakened Americans to the very real reality. The danger of "the disappearance of the Indian", which had been a long-standing problem but was only just being addressed. This sparked a series of diverse groups and mobilization efforts that called for Indian reform at the tribal and individual levels. In retrospect, the dominant theory that emerged from this wave of change had a strange goal: to save the Indians by assimilating them into American society. The phrase “kill the Indian and save the man” stems from this growing concern for Indian rights in the late 19th century. The plight of the Indians at this time was bleak indeed, as tribes were forced onto reservations in order to regroup and begin the process of adapting to white society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Ultimately, this plan proved to be a failure as reservations increasingly became a symbol of poverty and increased Indian dependence on rations. and U.S. government supplies. The Indians were heading toward a downward spiral toward extinction at an alarming rate. It took the radical ideas of people like Captain Henry Pratt to realize that the most effective method of change for the natives would be to educate them, so as to separate them forever from the reservations, and then integrate them into white society. . Compulsory education for all Indian children had its share of advantages and disadvantages, but the latter far outweighed the positives. Although some Indians did indeed succeed in creating a bridge between their two cultures, others returned to their reservations or remained forever stuck between two groups, unable to reclaim their original heritage or blend in with humans. daily blank. The establishment of the Indian boarding school system, although a seemingly progressive idea, nevertheless had many negative aspects that continue to be felt today by natives who have lost even more of their cultural and tribal identity. After the failure of policies such as the Dawes Allotment Act of 1887, which sought to take "surplus" Indian land and encourage agriculture, only consolidated Native land and perpetuated the pattern of poverty that had been developed for generations. The first major attempt to find a more effective way to assimilate Indians into American society was implemented by Captain Richard Pratt, who captured Plains Indians and attempted to introduce them into white society by giving them “proper” clothes, shaving their heads, and basically giving them “proper” clothes. removing any physical vestige of their ancient culture. This idea of ​​change quickly spread to Indian children starting in the 1870s with the opening of the first Indian boarding school: the Carlisle Indian School, which would become the model for reform and assimilation of the natives. The goals of these schools were simple: "to isolate children from the 'contaminating' influences of parents, friends, and family" (Calloway 384) and to attract Indians into white society, so that they would serve as role models for others. join. To whites this might have looked like reform, but to the vast majority of Indians it meant a further desecration of their fundamental values ​​and beliefs. The methods established bythe teachers and administrators of this school were uniform and simple. Upon arrival, Indian children were required to shed their old clothes and wear their hair and new clothing in a manner that appeased the white man's standards. From the perspective of Luther Standing Bear, a critic of the reform system, these early changes marked the plunge into a completely alien society and way of life: "Our usual clothes were removed and replaced with clothes that seemed bulky and cumbersome. clumsy . . .Of course our hair was cut. . .and in a mysterious way, long hair hindered our development. (Calloway 418) The Indians were also forced to adopt Christianity and as such were also given Anglo-Saxon names in an attempt to suppress their pagan beliefs. As depicted in the film The American Experience, children were forced to adhere to Christian principles such as daily prayer and obedience to authority, which slowly but inexorably separated them from the core beliefs that were the norm of their tribes for centuries. Religion was only one of many measures taken by schools to effectively convert the natives. It was language that proved to be the hardest blow, forever separating children from their parents in a way that has reverberated through recent generations. Reading and writing were essential parts of the curriculum in these schools and were a double-edged sword for the Indians. On the positive side, it allowed natives to converse with potential employers and fellow Americans. For some Indians like Wolf Chief, he was able to use his writing skills to advocate for native rights on behalf of his Hidatsa tribe. (Calloway 390) For the vast majority of Indians, learning English created a barrier between their ancient languages ​​that persists today, as many tribes have lost their ancient languages ​​that defined them as an individual tribe. Other important methods of Indian education at boarding schools involved teaching American history from a perspective that pushed for "a version of American history that distorted or ignored the role of Indians." (Calloway 389) It is ironic that this distorted view of American history taught to Indians over a century ago is still presented the same way in schools today, where Indians are at barely mentioned or held in high esteem. In addition to their education, Indians also received instruction based on the gender divide, where men were taught standard job skills and women were raised to follow the norms of domestic chores as a woman housewife or maid. Combined, this physical and intellectual education appears to have had a considerable impact on Native people and their sense of identity in America. For a privileged few, some natives were able to combine the skills learned in school to help their tribes, while for the vast majority, the effects of progressive education had a radically negative effect on natives and their families. Looking at the positive aspects of the entire boarding school experience, it can be noted that some Indians actually managed to successfully transition from "savage" to "civilized", which was the main objective of the point of view of their teachers and administrators. Most importantly for the Natives, many of them were able to return to their reservations and apply their skills to help other members of their families, and even educate other Indians. The aforementioned wolf leader managed to integratehis linguistic and written abilities to protest American policies and seek change for his countrymen. As it is said so well: “Indian intellectuals used popular images and stereotypes for their own purposes. ” (Calloway 391) Another excellent example of this balance between cultures is best represented by Charles Eastman, the son of a Dakota Wahpeton who himself had been transformed by white reform. Young Eastman was encouraged by his father to adapt to white society and education with the same ferocity as if he were engaging in armed combat: "It's like sending you on your first warpath, I will expect you to win. » (Calloway 392) Eastman passed boarding school, went to college, and upon returning to his former tribe, became a strong proponent of cultural exchange, believing that Americans had much to learn from Indians, and vice versa. -versa. Without wishing to overshadow the success of these boarding schools, there remains a harsh reality: the majority of natives sent to the schools either used their abilities to criticize this method of reform, or were lost between two cultures with no means of escape. From the beginning, schools were plagued by disease, a common aspect of Indian society that had been prevalent since the arrival of Europeans several centuries before. Especially in the early years of boarding schools, both on and off reserves; waves of tuberculosis, smallpox, and other diseases had a devastating effect on students and their families. “Between 1885 and 1913, 100 Indian students, from 37 different tribes, were buried in the Haskell Indian School cemetery. » (Calloway 388) Suicides and school dropouts were also common, as students found the new way of life imposed on them to be unbearably harsh and far removed from their old ways. Perhaps the most troubling outcome for children unable to cope with boarding schools was the inability to adapt to either society. The term “General Indian” came to apply to natives who adhered to the “old ways,” or the increasingly dying customs that had been their norm for centuries. Indians returning to their tribes after their formal education sought to return to this “cover.” (Calloway 416) However, for some, like Plenty Horses, this was almost impossible. Plenty Horses was accused of shooting an army officer at the height of the Ghost Dance revival in 1890. He stated at his trial that he shot the officer "so he could get a place for me among my people. Now I'm one of them. (Calloway 413) Plenty Horses believed that his time in Carlisle had created a cultural divide between his former culture and that an act of violence against the white man was the only way to find redemption among his people. For Plenty Horse and the countless other natives who returned to their reservations after school, their lives resumed to some extent on the reservations as the white man's outside world continued to sever any possible ties they had with their ancient habits and customs. The boarding school policies of the 19th and 20th centuries, while seemingly well-intentioned in their basic goals, always created a barrier between this particular generation of Indians and their ancient language and customs, which still attempt to be recovered. Although these schools' goals of "kill the Indian and save the man" worked for some natives such as Wolf Chief and Charles Eastman, they also caused great discontent among those who 'they..