Ethnocentrism And Off Reservation Indian Boarding Schools

Abstract

Ethnocentrism is a force to be reckoned with. The idea that one’s culture is morally and intellectually superior to another is a concept that has followed expanding civilizations for ages. The saga of the United States is no different. A society in a stage of expansion may think from a place of grandeur, and apply their cultural values to conquered people. This research will focus on three categories that will illustrate a holistic mindset of ethnocentrism from the point of view of the expanding United States to the original inhabitants of the continent. First, an exploration of federal government Indian policy. Second, an investigation into the personal memoirs of Richard H. Pratt, the originator of the first off-reservation boarding school. Finally, and possibly most effective, the voices of the students, and their decedents, of off-reservation boarding schools will be interpreted. The research is applied to high school social studies classrooms through analysis of primary sources via collaborative learning.