Ivan Star Comes Out: The education system was designed to kill the Indian

Wednesday, May 1, 2019  

Christianity and assimilation arrived on the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1888 with the establishment of the boarding school known as Holy Rosary Mission. John F. Bryde, in his book (Modern Indian Psychology, 1971), discussed one unhelpful effect of America’s 1800s “civilizing” policy. Bryde, a former principal, became acutely aware of this phenomenon among Oglala Lakota students.

A significant number of students were dropping out at unusually high rates. He saw that the children were receptive at an early age but then lost interest as they grew older. He determined that this particular event was a result of the fact that natives are omitted from American history and society.

As an effort to counter this situation, I presented some of the omitted historical information at Isnala Wicasa Owayawa (Lone Man School). These particular facts of history are absent in the federal school system. Most federally-funded schools still operate on the 229-year old cultural assimilation policy. Most likely, some of the handouts I provided that day ended up in trash cans.

I do know many native educators do not teach history’s facts relating to “Indians” fearing they will create generations of angry people. It must be realized that it was America’s concealment of the truth combined with the civil rights movement that produced the so-called confrontational “activists.”

Winston Churchill said, “The truth is incontrovertible [incontestable]. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.” Elvis Presley also quoted on truth, “Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t goin’ away.” Sadly, most “Indian” related events in American history have been distorted and then concealed from the American public.

I eventually dropped out of school as an angry teenager while so many went on to become “educated,” or is it appropriate to say assimilated. Anyway, I was constantly reminded about being “Indian” but I had nothing to go on. Actually, all I had was the stereotyped imagery of the large-nosed, half-naked, sub-human “savage” or the noble and stoic “Indian” or the “dumb” and drunken “Indian.”

This situation forced me into a lifelong search for history’s truths. Following are some of those truths with brief explanations used in my presentation three years ago.

Papal Bull. A decree issued in 1452 by a Pope Nicholas V of the Roman Catholic Faith authorized Spain to conquer Saracens and pagans and consign them to perpetual servitude. The term “Saracens,” as used in the bull refers to “non-Christians, or Arabs and Muslins living in northern Europe. With two other bulls (1454, 1493) the global stage was set for slavery and exploitation.

Manifest Destiny is the doctrine or belief that the violent expansion of the U. S. throughout the American continents was justified, inevitable, and divinely sanctioned. This event is still defended in the 21st century as necessary and benevolent. In other words, the U.S. was destined – by God – to expand and populate the land, at the cost of the original inhabitant’s lives, land, cultures, and history.

Declaration of Independence. Although touted as a series of complaints against King George of England to justify the American Revolution, it also separated natives from the perception of “humans.” King George supposedly incited the “merciless Indian savages” into killing colonists.

Treaties. A treaty is a formally concluded and ratified agreement between sovereign nations. More than 300 treaties were made between the United States and various native sovereigns. The U.S. never intended to honor them as evidenced by its violation of every single one. Although hardly known, credit needs to be given to the natives who are still upholding up their end of the treaties they signed.

“Civilizing” the Indian. “In 1818, James Monroe believed that “independent savage communities” could no longer exist within the “civilized population” of the United States. That is if the U.S. did not take complete control of the natives and “civilize them,” they would become extinct. The Act encouraged benevolent societies to educate native children.

Ivan F. Star Comes Out can be reached at P.O. Box 147, Oglala, South Dakota, 57764; via phone at 605-867-2448 or via email at mato_nasula2@outlook.com.

Copyright permission Native Sun News Today