Allotment & Assimilation Pt. 2 with Eric Hemenway
Listen now
Description
During the Allotment & Assimilation Era (1887-1930) the U.S. government moved to assimilate Native peoples into American society and the economy. One of the most devastating tactics was the Indian Boarding School, which aimed to strip Native children of their culture and train them for manual or domestic labor. Students resisted in many ways: attempting to run away, stealing food, and even setting fire to their schools. Students also formed their own kinship networks.Although the schools changed over time, some remained in operation until the 1980s. Among the many long-term impacts, these institutions disrupted the intergenerational transmission of knowledge and practices related to traditional diets. For some community members today, reconnecting to ancestral foodways helps them reclaim parts of their identity and history. Topics covered in this episode: Min 1:08: Meet Eric Hemenway Min 2:00: What are Indian Boarding Schools? Min 6:13: Creation of the Indian Boarding School system Min 8:37: Varied reasons for attending the schools Min 13:00: Boys’ vs. girls’ education Min 15:54: Funding the schools Min 17:41: Stories of resistance Min 22:19: Why should we share the stories of Indian Boarding Schools? Min 25:33: Eric’s personal path Min 31:18: Parting words from Eric Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Spirit Plate at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio.
More Episodes
Over the course of this season, our guests have helped us understand the history of disruption and provided essential context for why the Indigenous food movement is necessary. In this last episode for season 1, we talk with Anishinaabe farmer and food producer Rosebud Bear Schneider about the...
Published 03/28/22
Published 03/28/22
The activism and momentum of the late 1960s led to a shift in U.S. policy toward Native tribes, reaffirming Indigenous peoples’ right to self-governance. Later, this era became known as the Self-Determination Era. Starting in the early 1970s, many pieces of legislation were passed which, among...
Published 03/21/22