Welcome to the end of this book club. We have two more weeks left of blogging for this session. We will meet at the end of the month. Don't forget to respond to others' posts for the club.
This weeks assignment: Reading to the "Winter of 1903" on pg. 182 for this week.
-Please list ah ha's.
-Please find a quote that would some up the first half of the book and explain why.
Have a great week!
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The discovery of gold in Montana brought a great number of white men to to Montana . When they were unable to find their fortune in Montana many men settled in Fort Benton . Both the Piegan and Gros Ventre tribes had camps near Fort Benton . Some girls from these tribes married within their tribes “…others married white men and raised children whose lives straddled both worlds.” The straddling of both worlds defined these childrens’ childhoods, as well as the other children who were removed from their homes and placed in government schools.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the first part of the book there are many examples of these children being drawn to both of their worlds, home with their tribe and family and school. (school- being able to play basketball, being offered all the new opportunities school offered… home - homesick for family, a sense of lost when they were taken away from their families and put on a train heading towards school, attempts to run away…
Ahh… Moments:
The government in creating Indian boarding schools fostered the idea of pan-tribalism , making the Indians voice in later years more powerful when changing federal policies.
Seems like these children schedules were grueling in order to assist in the brainwashing of them.
I have started and stopped this book several times. Read it in the spring , now rereading it, and each time I pick it up it outrages me. I have a daughter the age of these girls , and cannot imagine how awful this experience was for the families and the children. I am hating this book… I am having trouble wrapping my head around the basketball story embedded in the pages, my mind keeps going to thoughts of separation from family, tribe, and the rich life that they lead before boarding schools.
Was women’s’ basketball really worth all these children went through? Can you tell I have a good mad going?
We cannot rewrite history. I can't say I understand the thinking of the U.S. government when they mandated that Indian children should be sent to boarding schools. The quote I would use to show the two different thinkings of the time would be when the Sun River Valley citizens were expecting the first group of children. "These children are likely to be more homesick than hostile, someone ventured, more in need of support than discipline. Most of them had likely never been so far away from their families. Then the rejoinder: What kind of parents would allow their sons and daughters to go to a school so far from home?" There was criticism about the parents but the ones in this book were given the choice of sending their children to the agency school or Fort Shaw. Because so many had white fathers, these particular students were encouraged. The Sun Valley residents were giving them a chance. I think the parents knew that this could be a chance for their children. Yes, it was hard on the parents.
ReplyDeleteBoth Dr. Winslow and Supt. Campbell were caring people--at least as the authors portrayed them. For the most part they wanted to provide the best for the students. The worked very hard to build a welcoming school, staff it with knowledgeable, caring people, and provide enriching opportunities for the children.
Sue, I agree it would be very hard to send your child to an unfamiliar environment whose mission it is to change them. I'm sure there were schools worse than Fort Shaw. After reading these last two books, however, if I had to send my child to a boarding school, I would choose Fort Shaw or Carlisle. We definitely have different opinions about this book--I really liked it. It was well researched and gave in-depth background information. For me, it was a good read.
Vicki- I agree it was well researched and packed full of background information. I just can't get past the history, heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteI was dreading reading this book all summer. I think it was mostly due to the size of it, and the fact that I had already read one book about basketball. I am surprised to find that I am actually enjoying it. I am learning about a piece of history; one in which I don't have much knowledge of. I didn't realize how many women in the tribes married white men. I hadn't given thought to how hard it probably was to want to raise your children with your instincts, beliefs, and values, only to have to compromise with a spouse whose experiencs were entirely different.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Vicki that the book seems very well researched. The book was less daunting as soon as I found how many footnotes were in the back! Seriously, I have found myself looking up several of them and find them interesting. The book does make Carlisle and Fort Shaw sound like the better of the boarding schools. I always find myself wondering how much written is fact or conjecture. Many of the opinions seem to be backed up by interviews of relatives, so I trust this book a little more. This book does have a lot of documentation, which I wish Counting Coup had. Like the last book with football, I am enjoying reading about the evolution of basketball.
I found the following quote interesting: "But as Indians wearing Great Falls uniforms, they could prove their prowess and have a shot at the state championship. The decision was theirs, Campbell told them. And their response was unanimous. What did it matter whose colors they wore? It was time to show what Indians coud do--even incognito Indians.
This quote reminds me of the words Jim Thorpe's father left with him. It made me think that even though many of the students didn't want to be at the school, they had school pride. The pride came from the fact that the entire student body was in fact Indian. They were being forced to change their "savage" ways, but the pride they had being Indians was still intact; and they wanted to show it. Sports was one way to do this.
Sue: I agree the history is heartbreaking and hard to get past. I think I am finding this more of a postive read, perhaps just because I am trying to see both sides a little more. I struggle with the fact that so many of these students had an Indian parent and a white one. I am not in any way condoning what was done to the Indian people, but I am sure some of these fathers truly thought they were doing the right thing, even though we know it was wrong. In any event, I am impressed with what many of these conflicted kids made of themselves, in spite of all the hardships. I'm not sure I'd have been as strong.
Dori and Vicki - Rereading the second half of the book with a more open mind. Enjoying the basketball history. Dang, they beat my Lady Griz. :) Enjoying the camaraderie between the girls.
ReplyDelete“Perhaps precisely because her father had warned her against having anything to do with “those dirty Cree,” or perhaps because nine-year old Emma Rose Sansaver, one of those forbidden companions, offered kindness and help with adjusting to life at St. Paul’s, Gen was soon seeking out her company”. This quote seemed to show that many of the students got through their experiences away from home by finding a friend that would help them and listen, helping each other by reminding them that they will have a “normal” life when they got out of the boarding school.
ReplyDeleteMy ah ha moments were, like many others stated, how many mixed marriages there were during this time period and in this area. It made me wonder if this was somehow planned as another way to assimilate Indians into the white man’s culture. Like Dori mentioned, it must have been hard for the women who had to adjust their traditions, to raise their children in this in-between environment. I am enjoying reading this book and am finding the research and supporting documentation that went into the book reassuring. The purpose of the Indian Boarding Schools on page 23 was interesting and I’m sure there were many bad boarding schools, although Fort Shaw seemed to try hard to make it tolerable. The separation of parents and children was a little hard for me and I don’t think I could have participated in that even though everyone knew that the Indian Children had to attend school somewhere.
The biggest "A-ha" I have experienced so far in reading this book is the fact that I am actually enjoying it! I just attended the Native Games workshop and have found things in this book that relate to what I learned there.
ReplyDeleteI know others have mentioned it, but I was surprised by the frequency of mixed marriages.
Also, I had a hard time with the tearing apart of families. I always plug myself and my daughter into these scenarios and it deeply saddens me for those children and their families.
My quote of choice comes from the preface:
“From this serendipitous convergence of events, 10 young women came together to form a virtually unbeatable team. The oldest of the girls was 19, the youngest 15. Some of them were veterans of boarding school life. ... while others have been enrolled at the school for barely a year. Hailing from American Indian communities and reservations across Montana and Idaho, the players represented seven different tribes, some of them with long-standing animosities toward one another.”
I think this quote summarizes the entire story by making the people feel less like historical figures and more like human beings. Like I mentioned before, I am surprised at how wrapped up I have gotten in this book...especially in the lives of the people in it.
I agree with Vicki’s statement that we cannot rewrite history. That is why it is so important for educators to present history in a meaningful way. History is made up of personal perspectives and each person’s perspective can alter the way history is written. This book is so well researched and gives multiple perspectives making the history more meaningful for the reader! As an educator I believe it is so important to bring history alive for our students and this book gives the people character and meaning, something students can relate too.
ReplyDeleteMy ah ha moment was the fact that Fort Shaw was such a negative place as far as the history against natives, and that someone would believe this place would be an ideal place to have an Indian school. I feel that trying to assimilate an Indian child in this type of place would be morally wrong, but maybe it was the perfect place in others’ eyes.
With all the inter-cultural marriages among Montanans I was amazed at how little the woman’s voice was when it came to her children’s life. I find it very sad that a man would marry a woman but not give respect to her culture and her voice. Sounds like many had very one-side marriages.
My quote:
Pg. 9
“The Louisiana Purchase had signaled the beginning of the end of life as the Indians living within the vast expanse had known it.”
This quote really reflects how quickly American Indians’ lives changed. I do wonder what kind of history we would be reading about had the purchase not gone through. Would it had been even more brutal or would native life have evolved on its own? No one will ever know. These people regardless are strong, persistent, and models of endurance!
Full Court Quest has introduced me to another side of the boarding school experience; one where students look forward to attending school even if it means being far from home and many even strive for a better education at Carlisle that would take them further from family. I think the experience of the girls has a lot to do with the mixed heritage and the quality of the school but I can’t decide if Winslow and Campbell actually care about their students or only care about how the school and the performance of the students reflected on them.
ReplyDeleteI did not realize that schools like Fort Shaw and Carlisle recruited students. I can’t imagine having to make the decision to send my child away at a young age to receive an education. Since the students were recruited it says a lot for the parents that these students were so well prepared, and motivated, it reminds me of the discussion during Counting Coup where Sue and I agreed that many of our best students were the most motivated. And not always the brightest and like our students that come from very different homes. These girls were very well-rounded, motivated and seemed to do well in all areas of their education.
I found it difficult to pick a quote that would sum up this section. My peers did an excellent job of choosing and discussing theirs. I found myself bothered by the adaptation of the game for women and was glad that many teams ignored those rules and did what was best for the game and the women playing it. Because of this I chose …a new ideal- woman as a glowing, happy creature with confidence in her intellectual and physical capabilities”… And most important it fostered a sense of joie de vivre, a passion for living life o the fullest. This game and these ideas seem to fit these young ladies and helped pave the way for a change in attitude about the way women should be treated and their athletic abilities.
Sue, glad you are looking at the basketball perspective in a different manner. I commented on how basketball could be used to empower women to be more confident and capable. These young women seem to be very driven and I am looking forward to finding out how they turn out. I hope that they grow up to be confident and strong women that help their people.
ReplyDeleteKim- I found myself impressed with these strong mothers, some raised their children well with abusive or absentee fathers and did what they thought was the best thing for their children. Some mothers even had a very strong voice in their family and that was probably not the norm for any family in this time. I was impressed at how motivated many of these girls are despite their home life; just as I am surprised at how well some of our students do in spite of their difficult situations
Ahas: I have an old friend that I hear from maybe once or twice per year. She has five children and is one of those people who has the "mothering intelligence", which is one step more refined on Gardner's Interpersonal Intelligence strand. (Can you tell I just made that Mothering Intelligence thing up)? Long story short, she loves her kids dearly, but lives in rural Oregon and doesn't approve of the local schools.
ReplyDeleteMy friend's husband is from Eastern Europe. They are not wealthy, but have carefully raised
their multi-lingual (at least four languages)children who are in turn able to earn scholarships to boarding schools which feed them into good colleges. (My son was gone for two weeks this summer and I felt like a limb was missing. Personally, I couldn't do it, and it is because I think I am more selfish--and a much lazier parent-- than my friend who has a fierce affection for her children). I could never judge my friend for her parenting decisions. I certainly can marvel.
I feel for the families in this story, and I would like to be a fly on the wall during one of the home recruiting visits made by the superintendents. What kinds of persuasion were used? How did the agency schools benefit from this system of recruitment specifically? (We know that they did, but how besides hoping the student would thrive in a school with more on the ball)...
I don't have a summative first half quote, but am struck by that weird cartoon from the Butte paper. For all the flowering of early girls's athletics in the state of Montana, and what a spectator event the games appeared to be, this uncomfortable cartoon illustrates to me the parallel universes lived by Indian and non-Indian Montanans.
Much is said of Butte's own diversity, but am I wrong when I observe that the Fort Shaw girls had a more advanced experience with fusion culture, mixed heritages in some cases, and that interesting Pan-Indian school culture, such as it was allowed to be, anyway. As for Butte and the cartoon men in suits who seemed to take no pleasure in the event--it looks like they see a touch too much Indian identity in the opposing team. (Nothing says "white's only" like an Irish pub sign).
Do they demand assimilation,a battle on the ball court, or what, really? (The Boarding Schools famously and arguably did this dirty work and more).
The book says the students were used to white attitudes and disrespect towards Indians, and it must have been difficult for such vulnerable
youngsters to find the courage to face that in the name of a sport they had grown to enjoy.
The cartoon is visually unflattering, perhaps to all portrayed. It just is, and I'd like to see the entire newspaper page for a matrix.
My cartoon assessment seems harsh, in retrospect. The Butte crowd was certainly charmed by the spectacle. And these events were a catalyst for goodwill interactions between communities. I think these would have been interesting events to have witnessed in person. The boarding schools had many redeeming elements, if you can set aside their overarching purpose for a moment. The Fort Shaw students were multi-talented. Joseph Bruchac book speaks frankly of corrupt school and agency officials shortchanging the Indian students at Haskell and Carlisle but there seems to be an even-handed, professional staff at Fort Shaw. There is a strange truth about schools needing to entertain the public. Fort Shaw delivers a one-two punch of athletics and entertainment.
ReplyDeleteApologies to my Irish friends for cheap, jesting comments.
ReplyDelete