The first students of Haskell in May of 1884 before the school officially opened up the author calls them "the Chilocco seven." The author says there is a book under the title "Record of Pupils transferred from Chilocco Indian Territory." It includes their tribal origins and blood, as well as a notation that they are all "physically sound." These young men would plant crops and fruit trees, fence, transport supplies from the railroad depot to the institution, remove debris from grounds, clean and prepare things around the school. The first group of students, presented as twenty-two individuals who were present at the official opening ceremony on September 17, 1884. There were twelve Ponca males, eight Chippewa, and Muncie children. Throughout the year the number of students attending increased.
The first decade of Haskell was focused on "civilization" of Native students.
During the day they would study there academics and the rest of the day for industrial work. The students at Haskell in the early years suffered the most the author points out. The methods of arrival at the instiution were not always pleasant. At all boarding schools at various points in time and to different degrees, children were forcibly removed from their homes. Parents were coerced and threatened with the withholding of rations, and starvation. Parents were forced to choose between children in order to keep the rest of the family alive. They would have to pick one child to send to boarding school to keep receiving their rations. Nonetheless there were some Native American parents that saw boarding school as an opportunity to learn and a positive outlook for their children attending them.
How the book talked about how the children arrived and taken from their families made me think of the movie Red Proof Fence that I have recently seen for another class. There is a part in the movie where you see the individuals coming to the families home and taking the children away from their families. A lot of hearbreak occurs at that moment. I can't image if that was to happen to my family if I had children and hope I will never have to experience that all during my lifetime.
Picture from www.archives.gov
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
The First Students at Haskell
Posted by Shyanne Schmalz at 3:26 PM
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2 comments:
Shy,
Personally, I don't think that I would even have the slightest idea of how to handle children being picked, pulled and forced to attend school in order to receive rations. I could understand the need to be educated however, not the way that they had introduced the idea of attending boarding school. Like most boarding schools and after learning about the reasons behind boarding schools, "to kill the indian and save the boy" I wonder how it is that some individuals were able to make such a positive impact on attending these schools. After reading the Chilocco book, I've learned alot more about the stories behind the curriculum and expectations from the students.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and input in this blog. I am now curious about the movie. Where can I find it?
I agree with Ro! I can't even begin to imagine how the parents of the children being picked must have felt to have to send away one of their own kin just to keep the rest of the family alive. It's a very sad ordeal to know how hard it was for native people back in the day and it makes me feel very fortunate to "have it easy."
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