This week, we’re diving deep into what President Joe Biden called “one of the worst chapters in American history” — the Native American boarding schools.
These institutions, which operated for over a century, were designed with the aim of systematically stripping away the cultures and identities of Native American children, often through brutal means.
Trust me, it's not going to be a light chat; we’re tackling some heavy topics that might leave you feeling a bit uneasy. However, it’s super important to understand the history behind these schools and the devastating impact they had on entire communities.
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Special guest for this episode:
- Jacqueline Fear-Segal, Professor of American and Indigenous Histories at the University of East Anglia
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Highlights from this episode:
- This episode explores the dark history of Native American boarding schools, highlighting their role in systematic abuse.
- Over 500 boarding schools were established across the United States, aimed at assimilating Native children into white culture.
- The boarding school system was not just about education, but involved severe cultural suppression and trauma for generations.
- Despite the oppressive past, Native communities today are showing remarkable resilience and a revival of their cultural identities.
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Additional Resources:
Forced assimilation and abuse: How US boarding schools devastated Native American tribes | News | cherokeephoenix.org
Biden apologizes to Native Americans for abusive government-funded boarding schools | CNN Politics
The U.S. history of Native American Boarding Schools — The Indigenous Foundation
Historian: American Indian Boarding Schools and Their Impact | TIME
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And if you like this episode, you might also love:
Who Are Native Americans?
How Did Slavery Impact Cherokee Nation?
What is Thanksgiving?
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