The First Solution: Seneca

The Thomas Asylum for Orphan and Destitute Indian Children was the first of its kind in the nation as it housed Indian-only orphans.  Construction of the first building began in 1855 and its walls became filled with children and personnel within the year.  The 100 acres that would house the facility was located on the Cattaraugus Reservation in the far western side of the state of New York.  

The need for the orphanage sprang from the death of one man – a man who in his passing left a large family with a great deal of extreme need.  Supported by missionaries, philanthropists, the state of New York and Senecas the institution adopted the common school agenda.  The agenda, itself, meant that there would be education for all with the goal in mind of creating a national identify.  With this in mind, the notion set forth that through these diverse backgrounds had to develop a shared set of attitudes and values – to be Americanized!

A myth sprung to the forefront – immigrants wanted to be Americanized.  This, as the book explains, is far from the truth.  In the 1830s and 1840 immigrants held tightly to their traditional ways especially in the areas of language and religion.  They lived in neighbors both in urban and rural settings to maintain the ethnic customs.  It was only in the late 1800s when immigrant parents decided that they had to relinquish aspects of their cultural identity in order for their children to be successful in American schools. 

With this said, the book goes on to explain that Native American experiences paralleled the immigrants but in reverse chronology.  The author states that in the early 1800s most Indian groups accepted, or at least accommodated to education that aimed to assimilate and acculturate.  As time went on, the attitude changed.  Why?  Due to the disruptiveness of cultural cohesiveness of the late 1800s.  Children and families were faced with the trauma of removal.  Children were being taking away from their homes to be forced to become Americans – it no longer was a choice it was a demand.

The orphanage was highly cared for by hired personnel.  Unlike the boarding schools of that time that were in the practice of having the children assist in maintaining the campus grounds and cleanliness of the indoor environment.  In fact, the ratio of adult-to-child in 1855 was 1:7 compared to other orphanages whose rations could sometimes exceed to 1:100. 

Nonetheless the discipline of the orphanage was harsh as it followed a military style of routine and consequences.  All facilities that housed children, immigrants and Native Americans, used military policies.  Haircuts were the very first event that took place to those who arrived.  The reason, health and hygiene would be the expected response.  The overall fear of head lice spreading throughout a facility was ended when haircuts were performed.  This was not the only thing that was terminated – so was the identity and individuality of the child. 

Records show that children who attended the orphanage had both positive and negative recollections.  For the most part, in the earlier years the institution was quite enjoyable.  As time passed a few negative memoirs surfaced.  Events and special occasions were the most often mentioned when it came to the good times.  Discipline and illness were noted as the negative. 

The doors of the orphanage were closed in 1955 with great fight.  The Senecas had hopes that it could be turned into a vocational high school or an Indian college along the same lines of Haskell but their attempts failed.  However, it is noted that many of the orphans who attended Thomas went on to go to off-reservation boarding schools such as Haskell, Carlisle, and the Hampton Institute in Virginia.

Lunch Anyone?

Please note that we will be meeting at the Fortune Cookie for class this Wednesday, March 24th at 12:30 pm.  We will have a "book talk" class meeting, so be prepared to talk about your first reading section of boarding school book.


In addition, please make sure that you are getting into your blogs and posting both your personal and peer responses.  We are just getting started on our second blog so I encourage you to stay with the deadlines for each week, we all know how stressful it can get when we fall behind.


Image from http://www.streamys.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/time-is-ticking.jpg

Post One: Indian Orphanages

I began my journey of Native American orphanages through the extensive research of author Marilyn Irvin Holt.  As I turned past the table of contents I found myself feeling a sense of anticipation accompanied with disinclination.  What information will I gain from the pages that follow and what emotions will be tied to the overarching subject of the book itself? 

So I pressed forward and gingerly began to read.

In the U.S. it was apparent that the definition of care for an orphan differed between two distinct cultures, European and Native American.  Although practices varied among the tribes concerning children who lost one or both of their biological parents it is clearly understood that one common practice was shared, no child was left uncared for in their communities.  Orphaned children were often brought into the homes of their grandparents, older siblings, relatives, and family acquaintances.  Whereas European children, who were orphaned, rarely had the opportunity to be cared for by another family member let alone by an individual within their community.  The social norms brought over from their European homelands followed them and these children were placed in institutions called orphanages. 

Dramatic changes in the United States greatly increased the immigration population.  Events such as the Industrial Revolution, California Gold Rush, and land opportunity in the West generated more chances for financial security but also affected the nature of the family.  Immigrant children paid the price.  These children fell within one of these three categories:

• Orphaned – a minor child without living parents.  
• Half-orphaned – a minor child who has lost one parent, yet the one living parent cannot care for them.
• Destitute – a minor child having both parents, living, but who cannot care for them.

Native American people honorably held tight to their child-rearing practices but could not escape the pressures of the dominant culture.  Keeping the family together was challenged through conflicts, encroachment of hunting grounds, disease, and forced assimilation.   As the native population began to decrease so did the tradition of orphaned children being cared for within their tribal communities.  Resembling their immigration counterparts, Native American children began to be placed in orphanages. 

Marilyn Irvin Holt’s research focuses upon the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole nations The intent of her work was to not focus upon the Five Civilized Tribes, however; the extent of her data was retrieved from institutions in which documents could be retrieved.  Additional orphanage accounts include the Seneca, Cherokee, Oklahoma, Ojibway and Sioux. 

Image from http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/images/holind.jpg

Second Blogging Assignment

Greetings!

We will begin our second blog assignment.  The dates listed below are the due dates for both your personal post and your response to your peers.  As we had done so for our first blog you will be graded each week based on your timely submissions and a final grade will be given for your overall blog.  Use the rubric provided by your instructor to guide you through the assignment.

I am highly anticipating the opportunity to also contribute to the blog postings as I will be blogging on my chosen book as well.

Dates for Blog Submissions	Personal Post (Mondays) 5PM	Peer Response (Wednesdays) 5PM
First	March 22	March 24
Second	March 29	March 31
Third	April 5	April 7
Fourth	April 12	April 14
Fifth	April 19	April 21

Please note the following:

Please return your Chilocco book if you have not yet relinquished it to your instructor.

Also, make sure that you check out your current book with the UTTC librarian if you have not done so already.  You will be required to renew your book as you will be using the it until April 21^st.      

Bismarck School Board Meeting

Good Day,

The next Bismarck Public School Board Meeting will be held March 8th.  All meetings are held at 5:15 p.m. (cst), in the Tom Baker Meeting Room located in the City/County Office Building, 221 North 5th Street, Bismarck ND.

 For more information you may go to: http://www.bismarck.k12.nd.us/district/schoolboard/

I know that there are a couple of you who have an evening class on Mondays or have other commitments to attend to - therefore, it may be the perfect time to take in a school board meeting during spring break. 
Graphic from http://tinyurl.com/ybzyj74