Opening the dialogue on America's dirty secret

[Louisiana1976]

There seems to be a consensus among several tribal elders that there is trauma affecting American Indians as the residue of the boarding school era. They believe that anyone speaking publicly about the sexual abuse of Indian children at Indian mission and Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding schools better have thick skins because they will be publicly chastised for expressing those views.

Several tribal members from Montana decided that it is not too late to do something about it. They formed a committee and set about planning a conference in which they would bring Indian speakers, psychologists, health-care providers, teachers, leaders of women's organizations, and survivors of sexual trauma together.

Elrae Potts said, "We had a meeting to discuss the terrible things Kevin Peniska, who was just sentenced to 110 years in prison, did while pretending to be an advocate for Indian children. This is the worst kind of hypocrite and what further damage did he do?" To the committee, Peniska's actions angered and disgusted them, but it also opened the door to bring the dirty little secrets of the Indian boarding schools out of the closet.

snip

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/340/story/79396.html

[ensho]

1. let the light shine in so the law can act and healing can begin

child sex abuse is an epidemic in america now and in the past.

[JohnnyLib2]

2. Eye-opening exhibition about boarding schools in Phoenix---

at the Heard Museum. Well worth a visit. Abuse per se is not mentioned, but the conditions which would permit it are obvious.
www.heard.org/currentexhibits/hmm/BoardingSchoolExperience.html


Thanks for this post.

[Horse with no Name]

6. It's been years since I have been to the Heard Museum

I guess I will need to go see this on my next trip out there.
Thanks for the heads up!

[Warpy]

3. I know some of the survivors of those schools

and the wall of resentment is palpable. I don't think there is any way to overestimate the damage that was done to kids when they were taken away from their parents, told their language and culture were inferior, had their hair cut and their clothing burned in favor of short hair and government issue, regimented clothing, and had well meaning but hamfisted and often violent people try to turn them into white people with brown skin.

It was a terrible thing to do to them.

Let the light shine on all the dark corners. It's past due.

[MindPilot]

5. Just to notice the juxtaposition; this thread versus the one on school uniforms

Not specifically your comments, but my first thought was "Short hair, regimented clothing" gee, that sounds real familiar.

[Warpy]

7. My idea was jeans and shirts without writing

which offer one hell of a lot of lattitude for self expression while being economical, durable and practical.

I'm just astonished that people still want to put their daughters into dresses for school.

I suffered through Catholic school uniforms until I rebelled at 10. I wouldn't have minded britches but those damn skirts combined with the prudery of the Irish church didn't work on the playground.

[panader0]

4. My maternal grandmother was a half Crow orphan

sent from Lodge Grass Montana to school in Spokane about 1905. My grandfather was a teacher there.