Native American Cultural Assimilation Essay - 3830 Words

Native American Cultural Assimilation from the Colonial Period to the Progressive October 2, 2011 Introduction Although the first European settlers in America could not have survived without their assistance, it was not long before the Native Americans were viewed as a problem population. They were an obstacle to the expansion plans of the colonial government and the same to the newly formed United States. The Native Americans were dealt with in various ways. During expansion some were outright exterminated through war while others forcibly made to relocate to lands deemed less than ideal. The idea was to make them vanish – out of sight, out of mind. Though their numbers in terms of population and tribal groups†¦show more content†¦As the eighteenth-century came to a close and the major players in expansion had changed, policy toward Native Americans stayed essentially the same it had been under the British. Early in the nineteenth-century and the Louisiana Purchase in hand,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (Thomas) Jefferson, much as he struggled with the issue (Indian policy), coul d simply not envision a future for the United States that included a place for ‘Indians as Indians.’ As president, Jefferson tried to design an Indian policy that would humanely assimilate Native Americans into the new republic, but his vision of national expansion turned out not to have any room for Native Americans.†[4] Those who refused or resisted assimilation would be forcibly pushed westward to lands deemed unfit for anything by most Americans.[5] As expansion increased further West, the Native Americans faced another subtle weapon in addition to religion from the government in its attempt to subdue them – American-style education. Years of violence, forced removal to Indian Territory and forced religious indoctrination had failed to solve what the federal government referred to as â€Å"the Indian problem.†[6] the Native Americans may not have flourished in their new land, but they survived and would not go away. As a result, American po licy shifted fromShow MoreRelatedNative Americans and Cultural Assimilation Essays1934 Words   |  8 PagesNative Americans have had a long history of resistance to the social and cultural assimilation into white culture. By employing various creative strategies, Native Americans have attempted to cope with the changes stemming from the European colonial movement into the Americas. There are fundamental differences in world views and cultural and social orders between Indians and Europeans, which contributed to conservatism in Native American cultures. 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On the other hand Latinos deal with assimilation and mass in group segregationRead MoreThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian And The Film Crooked Arrows Directed By Steve Rash977 Words   |  4 Pagesinstitution for educating children, Cultural Assimilation: The process by which a person or a group’s language and/or culture come to resemble those of another group. In Sherman Alexie’s The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian and the movie Crooked Arrows directed by Steve Rash, both touch on the topic of school and cultural assimilation. Based off these sources we are able to see how Native American culture is looked at while trying to appeal to the Euro- American standards of what’s acceptableRead MoreThe Word Assimilation785 Words   |  4 PagesThe word assimilation has many differen t meanings. Its interpretations range from the digesting of nutrients to the transfer of similar sounds. However, when sifting through the various definitions of assimilation, there is one concept that always seems to stand out. No matter what the source is or how it’s worded, there is almost always a reference to cultural groups. Whether it’s the acceptance of a group or the alteration of it, the customs of contrasting cultures continuously come up. One such