After learning about the boarding school experience in class, I realized I had a Dear America book about it! If you're not familiar with the Dear America series, it's always written from a young child or teenager (usually female, but there are a few male) from a certain period of time and their perspective of things. They were really interesting when I was a little kid. I didn't remember how the book went, so when I went to reread this weekend... I was completely shocked.
This book is nothing, even close to the real experience of Indian boarding schools. The worst thing this child went through was scouring pots and pans til her hands were tired. But apparently, the tribes wanted to send their children and the chiefs came to visit occasionally and everyone wanted to "learn the white man ways" to make their tribe proud.... what?!
According to this book, they were taught by sometimes kind, but good teachers and were allowed to go on outings and swimming and often ate delicious foods during celebrations.. what? The most realistic thing about this book is the fact they discouraged the students from talking in their language, but apparently when a new student comes "it's alright for now". I don't know what boarding school this was (Carlisle Indian School, PA, 1880), but every Native American should have gone there!
I don't know what fairytale this is, but it's ridiculous because a young child (what level this book is written for) will be easily influenced by this and thinking that Native American children had an extremely positive experience..... wrong. Obviously, young children shouldn't know the actual ongoings.. but still.. why even write it in the first place? That actually disappoints me. =[
Point of this: If you want your child to know Native Americans... don't give them this book. It's 99.9% inaccurate.
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