Oppresion

 “Indigenous Resistance and racist schooling on the borders of empires: Coast Salish cultural survival” by Michael Marker’s  informs of us of the issue of assimilation. Towards the indigenous people of North American in the Washington State/Canada area during the 1800’s and the mid 1900’s. The tribes lived without borders throughout the area, then the white man came and imposed borders between families and friends. Separating families and friends, completely disrupting their way of life. Then to make matter worst the new Americans tried to eliminate the indigenous culture through the process of schooling. In the 1800 the children of the tribes were forced  to attend boarding schools. Far away from their families and where they forced to abandon all of their traditions and accept the modern ways of life. The parents of these children would have rather had their children not attend school then loss their traditions. With grandparents becoming the most influential person in the tribe thanks to their knowledge and wisdom. Once children were stopped being forced to go to boarding schools by the federal governments they had to attend newly unsegregated public schools. The children that attended these schools faced harsh criticism and bullying for being different. In time the parents were choosing to send their kids to boarding schools, the same ones they had wanted to leave, instead of publics schools. There their children would be with other Native America just like themselves.
    I enjoyed reading this article. It informed us on history of the United States that is not taught in school, coming from the “other sides” perspective. The perspective that is not often heard due to oppression and being forgotten. At first I had a hard time understanding what exactly what was happening. I felt like a lot was being thrown at me. As I read more the article started to take a chronological form. Then I was able to make out what was happening and relate it to everything else. I find the history of this country pretty brutal and horrendous. While the African-American population was dealing with their Civil Rights movement, other groups were also being oppressed. The indigenous people in this article are a fine example, but also the Chinese population along the west coast, Hispanic population along the South, and the German-Irish population of the 1800s. History is taught by the victors and their point of view. I would like to imagine a world were we all knew the very many different sides.