Forced Assimilation

First of all, the Plains Indian were great travelers that roam free throughout the lands and were great fighters who used guerilla tactics. With time, came the genocide of the of the buffalo, this was because the Americans would just kill them for sport and leave the meat to rot. Another issue that came was the creation of reservation. As you know the plain Indians were always free to roam the land and all of the sudden the Americans tried to restrict them to one place, which could not have happened since the Indians hatted farming. In addition, you cannot forget the creations of boarding school which were founded by Francis Pratt. At the schools they tried to persuade the American way of life such as religion, clothing, and language. If a Indian spoke their native language they beaten for not

Assimilation of the native Indians occurred in different phases. The United States in the early years adopted an Indian policy that they used to build good relations with the bordering tribes which helped politically and in trading with the natives. However, they reserved to stop the good relationships in order for them to acquire more land as the moved west to expand their territory. (Keller,1983)

American Indians underwent several different eras of federal policy, each one varying on where the government stands when dealing with American Indians. One era of federal policy in particular is referred to as the “Allotment and Assimilation Era”, characterized by the policies regarding allotment of land and the process adapting American Indian children to an Anglo-Saxon society. While both aspects of the Allotment and Assimilation Era had a tremendous effect on American Indians, forcibly enrolling American Indian children into boarding schools, in an effort to “civilise” them, not only had a greater impact on tribal communities at the time, but it also had the most significant lasting legacy.

The Assimilation policy (1961) has impacted on Indigenous Australians within their physical and mental state and identity present in today’s society. Australia is commonly considered to be free and fair in their culturally diverse societies, but when the Indigenous population is closer looked into, it is clear that from a social and economical view their health needs are disadvantaged compared to non-Indigenous equals. In relation to this, the present Indigenous health is being impacted by disadvantages of education, employment, income and health status. Even urban Indigenous residents are being affected just as much as those residing in remote and rural areas of Australia.

The Dawes Act of 1887 was one of the biggest debates in history after the Civil War. The plan was meant to help American Indians, but it had many flaws and downfalls that it hurt them more than it helped. The act, proposed by Senator Henry Dawes in 1887, granted plots of land of different sizes, depending on family rank and age, to Native Americans. It also made it possible for any Native American born in the United States a path to citizenship. It stated that all the Native Americans had to do was adopt an American way of life. This part of the act was called assimilation, it stated that the Native Americans should adopt a new way of life that is more similar to the American culture. Many Native Americans didn’t want to change how they live

Segmented assimilation combines multiple elements and because of this is able to provide a different perspective. Zhou discusses how this theory recognized the fusion of immigrants in America but acknowledges that the complete assimilation of becoming American is not always beneficial (999). Giving the diverseness of America to retain what culture and values one was raised on can benefit the migrant in various ways. Especially giving the many cultural organizations established to assist immigrants. I enjoyed the article and agreed with a majority of it. Zhou understands the benefits and consequences of maintaining and losing any cultural values you migrated with. Her perspective on Gordon’s theories were clarifying in some sense. However, I believe the assimilation process for second generation is a difficult thing to narrow down. Zhou’s theory that where an immigrant is placed in system describes success and assimilation. This perspective is new and frighteningly eye opening. Where you are “placed’ in system would have dramatic effects on one’s assimilation and ability to

For almost as long as European settlers have interacted with the native peoples of the Americas, they have had a notion: what many call ‘assimilation’. To Europeans, assimilation of native peoples meant for their culture, which they believed to be superior, to be accepted over time by the natives. And as they grew more and more European in language, religion, customs, organization, morals, and behavior, they would slowly shed off all of their old culture which the European culture would be replacing. The Europeans believed this process was for the best for the natives and that they would be happier living ‘civilized’ lives as opposed to practicing their own traditions.

It is expected that ultimately there will be a loss of ethnic distinctiveness for immigrants in the U.S., meaning the lack of attachment to the country of origin. (Golash-Boza, 2006) It is argued that all ethnic distinctiveness will no longer exist by the seventh or eighth generations. Before exploring the influence of foreign born vs. U.S. born parents on their children’s cultural assimilation; the different theories of assimilation will be explored. The idea of Assimilation came about in the early 20th century. (Golash-Boza, 2006) Assimilation is surrounded by two theories, the first that all immigrants will assimilate sooner or later and that the generational status of the individual is one of the main factors in determining the

During Westward Expansion, white settlers saw the Indians as a hindrance to civilization. Therefore the mindset of settlers were to convert Native Americans into white culture. To begin assimilating, the government should, “cease to recognize the Indians as political bodies,” adult male Indians should become a citizen to the government, Indian children shall be taken away and “be trained in industrial schools,” and Indians should be, “placed in the same position before the law.” Assimilating Indians wasn’t a simple teaching of a new culture instead, it was brutal. The boarding schools were merciless towards the Indians, mainly because they wanted to force Indians to drop their culture. Native Americans were obligated to change and lost their

The more days went by, the more they became Americans through and through. Assimilation was never by design, choice or any predetermined action. It was shaped through day-to-day conflicts and through interaction with other ethnic groups. Having a good advantage in English as their first language, they were able to participate in various activities that later shaped their destiny. Their children were able to attend schools. A number of various professionals were found in various economic sectors of the country. There were numerous policemen and women, preachers and teachers- a sign that clearly indicated that they were coming of age and that they were slowly overcoming the challenges that had bent them downwards. Soon they started making it into elective post. This was partly because of their improved economic status and partly due to their personality. Barrett noted that these people were activist and had embarked on various activities that benefited the community.

The organizations that would take over other beings and cause them to lose their identity to become a slave to the larger organization. However, Assimilation often associated with a negative connotation with the loss of one’s identity or historical culture as part of an integration process with a new, larger cultural identity. This negative connotation therefore raises racial and cultural identity concerns at the mere mention of the term, which results in a loss of the positive connotations of assimilation and loss of the perspective that assimilation does not require the loss of individual identity. The people involved still retain their individual identities, hopes, dreams, interests, loves, and goals, but they also can function more successfully

Residential School are an aspect of Canadian history that will haunt our nation. Derived from the Anglican Church, Methodist Church, and Roman Catholic church’s desires to educate and convert the indigenous people of the land. (Miller, 2008) The churches thought that the indigenous people were savages and needed to be assimilated into their beliefs. (Hanson, n.d.) 30% of indigenous children were forced into Residential Schools, 6,000 died while in the care of these boarding schools. (Tasker, 2015). These institutions used methods of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse to sterilized these children such as piercing the tongues of children with needles who dare to speak their native language

No one in either of the situations had a good reason for changing the lives, personalities, and cultures of these people. The goal of the enforcers was not to rid them of their culture, but to shape them into citizens beneficial to society. Although this was their intention it did not pan out just like they said. The government was harsh on the little Indian children not letting them speak their own language and the wolf girls were not allowed to act like wolves anymore which is all they knew how to do. In the late 1870’s the reformers tried something new which was reservation boarding schools, schools that were fairly further away so the children would live there all week. But this did not work, some of the parents still attempted to see the

In the late nineteenth century, the effort to ‘civilize” native Americans entailed removing children from their families and placing them in boarding schools where they were forced to adopt European culture. They were forbidden to speak their traditional language and were forced to abandon their religious beliefs in favour of Christianity.

Between 1790 and 1920 it was a tough time for the Indians. During that period Native Americans were forced to convert to the European-American Culture. Their whole life changed, the way of living, religion, and especially their children’s future. It was wrong of Americans to convert natives into a different society that they saw fit and not letting them express their own culture and treating them as an unworthy society.