Whitewashing
Nothing can crush your faith in humanity more than seeing how inhuman, how cruel an "enlightened" people can be to others. The self-righteous genocide of Native Americans seems to have been done with very little remorse at the time. A dismissive "what a shame" is easily copped to after the fact, with a white-washed history book glossing over what white America was capable of. The fact that some politicians vehemently oppose the teaching of race relations in schools, as if there is nothing to be learned from events like the Trail of Tears, is further evidence of this willful ignorance.
The Carlisle Indian Industrial School was founded by Lieutenant Richard Henry Pratt in 1879. Situated in Pennsylvania, this boarding school was seen as a way to re-educate Native Americans and better assimilate them into white society. Pratt believed Indians were equal to white men, they just needed to be stripped of their heritage.
"Here at the Carlisle School, we take the Indian child out of that culture, out of that environment, away from the obscenity of the reservation system that has been imposed by politicians who've never been west of the Mississippi...There are no halfway measures at Carlisle--to save the man, we must kill the Indian!" Pratt truly believed that the people were worth saving, but only if they conformed to his vision. He would mold them into something else, something he deemed worthy of salvation, rather than accepting them as they were.
John Sayles, a non-native author, illustrates the diverse reactions of students to Carlisle's indoctrination, depending on each one's background and previous exposure to the white world. Antoine, who is half-Ojibwe and speaks English, has received education from nuns on his reservation. His father has been forced to send him to the school as a way to retain title to his land. Makes-Trouble-In-Front, a rebellious Sioux boy who does not speak English focuses solely on escaping. Miss Redbird is an instructor of Indian heritage-- a shining example of what white men can sculpt with these methods. "See what we've made her."
Elsewhere, there are rumors circulating about the Ghost Dance rituals spreading through Indian territories. The dance is said to unite the living with the spirits of the dead to stop the white man and restore harmony. The buffalo will return and the white man-- his weapons rendered ineffective-- will perish either by fire or flood. White fears were rising, fueled by accounts from reporters looking to sensationalize the threat. The Wounded Knee Massacre that followed would have a profound effect on the students.
However well-intentioned Lieutenant Pratt's plans were, the effects of Indian boarding schools were devastating to thousands of children. Identities were vanquished with the separation from family, the forced cutting of hair, the disposing of traditional clothing, and the strict prohibition of speaking Native language. Many died due to first-time exposure to diseases, some just chose suicide. Others that did survive returned only to find themselves rejected as no longer Indian.
This is an unforgivable passage of American history and Sayles does an exceptional job in populating the novel with some authentic characters. The narrative sometimes jumps around in quick bursts, though, and other characters are lightly touched upon and seem underdeveloped. Overall, this is a well thought out portrayal of the extreme methods America used to resolve the "Native American problem."
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Nothing can crush your faith in humanity more than seeing how inhuman, how cruel an "enlightened" people can be to others. The self-righteous genocide of Native Americans seems to have been done with very little remorse at the time. A dismissive "what a shame" is easily copped to after the fact, with a white-washed history book glossing over what white America was capable of. The fact that some politicians vehemently oppose the teaching of race relations in schools, as if there is nothing to be learned from events like the Trail of Tears, is further evidence of this willful ignorance.
The Carlisle Indian Industrial School was founded by Lieutenant Richard Henry Pratt in 1879. Situated in Pennsylvania, this boarding school was seen as a way to re-educate Native Americans and better assimilate them into white society. Pratt believed Indians were equal to white men, they just needed to be stripped of their heritage.
"Here at the Carlisle School, we take the Indian child out of that culture, out of that environment, away from the obscenity of the reservation system that has been imposed by politicians who've never been west of the Mississippi...There are no halfway measures at Carlisle--to save the man, we must kill the Indian!" Pratt truly believed that the people were worth saving, but only if they conformed to his vision. He would mold them into something else, something he deemed worthy of salvation, rather than accepting them as they were.
John Sayles, a non-native author, illustrates the diverse reactions of students to Carlisle's indoctrination, depending on each one's background and previous exposure to the white world. Antoine, who is half-Ojibwe and speaks English, has received education from nuns on his reservation. His father has been forced to send him to the school as a way to retain title to his land. Makes-Trouble-In-Front, a rebellious Sioux boy who does not speak English focuses solely on escaping. Miss Redbird is an instructor of Indian heritage-- a shining example of what white men can sculpt with these methods. "See what we've made her."
Elsewhere, there are rumors circulating about the Ghost Dance rituals spreading through Indian territories. The dance is said to unite the living with the spirits of the dead to stop the white man and restore harmony. The buffalo will return and the white man-- his weapons rendered ineffective-- will perish either by fire or flood. White fears were rising, fueled by accounts from reporters looking to sensationalize the threat. The Wounded Knee Massacre that followed would have a profound effect on the students.
However well-intentioned Lieutenant Pratt's plans were, the effects of Indian boarding schools were devastating to thousands of children. Identities were vanquished with the separation from family, the forced cutting of hair, the disposing of traditional clothing, and the strict prohibition of speaking Native language. Many died due to first-time exposure to diseases, some just chose suicide. Others that did survive returned only to find themselves rejected as no longer Indian.
This is an unforgivable passage of American history and Sayles does an exceptional job in populating the novel with some authentic characters. The narrative sometimes jumps around in quick bursts, though, and other characters are lightly touched upon and seem underdeveloped. Overall, this is a well thought out portrayal of the extreme methods America used to resolve the "Native American problem."
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
