Analysis Of John Demos's 'Heathen School'

Thomas King’s The Inconvenient Indian tells the story of Indigenous people in Canada and the United States, it challenges the narrative on how Indigenous history is taught and explains why Indigenous people continue to feel frustrated. King’s seeks to educate the reader as he provides a detailed accounts of the horrific massacres Indigenous people endured, yet he simultaneously inserts humorous moments which balances out the depressing content and enhances his story. The books highlights the neglect and assimilation that Indigenous were subjected to and how their survival was seen as an inconvenience to western culture. King directs his message at a Euro-centric audience to offer an accurate explanation of Indigenous culture and

Because of this common, ordinary people were free to think for themselves when it came to religion. Christianity was made into a popular theology combining pop culture, renewed supernaturalism, and biblical literalism. This made numerous religious opportunities in America.

To begin, the denial of cultural identity stagnates the cultural existence of the Native Americans in the United States. Colonizers began to deny the expression of culture or other forms of “other” in the United States to conform the original people of the land to the colonizers’ culture, and they began to destroy these different cultures by slowly turning the Native American people into the cultures of the “white man.” They did this by sending Native American children to federal boarding schools and forcing those children to conform to the schools’ rules and culture. The podcast “American Indian Boarding Schools” from National Public Radio gives a brief insight into the history of the boarding schools of Native American children. Podcast host Renee Montagne states, “The [United States] government took tens of thousands of Indian children far away from their reservations to schools where they were required to dress, pray, work and speak as mainstream

Religion in the early American history was shaped by the people who migrated to this new land of freedom and brought distinct perspectives of religion that was often interpreted in a way to uphold white supremacy. Thomas Tweed and Fredrick Douglass broadly discuss the topic of religion in America. Where Tweed discusses the main three main themes of American Religious history that diversified the religious ideas in this country which makes religion in America capable of “negotiate power and meaning”, Fredrick Douglass points out how the power of religion was misused by people of the dominant side of the America (Tweed, 2).

The Great Awakening had many lasting effects, one of which was the transformation of religion in America. The movement gave birth to a new branch of Christianity, known as evangelical Christianity, as well as a new style of preaching. Traveling preachers used emotion and passion to ignite fear and piety in

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 Native American Indian Boarding School was an institution designed by missionaries to "assimilate" the Native American children to adopt American culture. Assimilation was intended to strip young children of everything they knew of their own culture and replace it with what the white man saw fit ultimately because they were threatened by the native people they had suppressed. As far as being successful, the schools did separate the children from their parents and tribe therefore weakening the tribes legacy for the future. The objective was to enfeeble the natives into submission. Concurrently, the public was told the children were being properly educated. Studies in English, business economics and etiquette was the publicized curriculum.

It is apparent that to many degrees, cultural assimilation through education did not work for a variety of reasons. Although early native students were culturally displaced in white schools, they continued to take tremendous pride in their heritage. It was impossible for the early aboriginal student to apply anything learned in these early schools to anything he had previously experienced. Subjects taught in residential schools did not generally interest the native student. Native indifference to early formal education can be found. One student enrolled in the early schools recounts his experience, " I do not remember any book

Throughout history, those who practice any form of religious worship has been a small percentage of the population Today, many individuals take part in many different religious beliefs but fail to know how it originates. The Great Awakening revived a lot of religious ideas, but it was essentially the Second Great Awakening that really produced not only religious enthusiasm but also the reformation movement in the country.

Eighteenth century New England was a place of spiritual revival affecting more than just unevangelized colonists but people of all races and religions, including Native Americans. Between the years 1700 and 1820, there was a series of movements, known collectively as the Great Awakening, which consisted of localized religious resurgences that involved several denominations of Christianity. The objective of the Great Awakening was to spread the word of Christ to those who had not yet had a spiritual experience with Him. Native Americans were greatly exposed to the Great Awakening through a number of methods used by the colonists including sermons and the institution of Christian boarding schools for Native children. Each individual Indian responded to the revival in their own unique way, some denouncing Christianity, some embracing it, and some feeling indifferent towards it; however, throughout the course of the book, The Indian Great Awakening: Religion and the Shaping of Native Cultures in North America, author Linford Fisher reestablishes the idea that there was Indian conversion to Christianity, and explains that Native Americans at this time were more likely to affiliate themselves with the church rather than to fully convert.

Religion has been around since the discovery of America. Many European immigrants came to America to escape the traditions of the Church of England. The people wanted religious freedom. Most, however, tried to force their religious beliefs on the people who came to settle in their colonies creating a divide. It wasn’t until The Great Awakening, which started in the New England colonies, occurred that people rose up and revolted against the norms of religion and began to worship the way they wanted to. This divisive time period greatly impacted the American colonies by allowing true religious freedom to all the people.

The act also funded boarding schools that designed to replace Native American culture with American culture within the school system. Family and cultural ties almost diminished because of the boarding schools. Children were even punished for speaking their native tongue or practicing anything dealing with Native American rituals

With waves of the American population moving westward, government attempted to assimilate, or integrate, Native Americans into American society. Their goal was for Native Americans to live and behave like white Americans, and for them “to cast off their savage habits and become an interesting, civilized, and Christian community” (Doc 9). Children were sent to boarding schools where they were given new clothes and haircuts, and taught English, Christianity, and American ways of life (Doc 13). While many Americans believed this would be good for the Native Americans, it effectively destroyed their culture and identity. By forcing them to learn English, they were unable to communicate the concepts, beliefs, and ideas their languages were based on. Americans did not consider the fact that English could not substitute for Native languages, because they are based on different realities, histories, and cultures (Doc 3). Assimilation turned the lives of Native Americans upside-down, forcing them to give up ideas and beliefs they had been practicing their whole lives, without any say. Slowly, Native American culture and lifestyle faded until it was nearly

Efforts to 'civilize' the Native Americans through the use of schooling began in 1819 and continued until the late 1920's. The first schools were the result of Christian missionaries' efforts to gain converts. English was the only language spoken in these schools, and the Native American culture was looked upon poorly. Some earlier efforts were made to adapt to Native American culture, including the development of a written Cherokee language. This knowledge, however, was used to impart Anglo-Protestant values and religion (Spring 18-21).

Taking away Native American children’s language caused many challenges at home. Many children were confused, homesick, as well as resentful. Many of the children attending these boarding schools did not understand why their parents sent them to boarding school. For many it was because family members were, “sick then. He don’t want to take care of a little one so he pushed me to school” (Burich 5). Many children would not understand why they were being sent to these schools, especially since the schools were changing their worlds