American Indian Education, 2nd Edition

by Reyhner

Before Europeans arrived in North America, Indigenous peoples spoke more than three hundred languages and followed almost as many distinct belief systems and lifeways. But in childrearing, the different Indian societies had certain practices in common—including training for survival and teaching tribal traditions. The history of American Indian education from colonial times to the present is a story of how Euro-Americans disrupted and suppressed these common cultural practices, and how Indians actively pursued and preserved them.

American Indian Education recounts that history from the earliest missionary and government attempts to Christianize and “civilize” Indian children to the most recent efforts to revitalize Native cultures and return control of schools to Indigenous peoples. Extensive firsthand testimony from teachers and students offers unique insight into the varying experiences of Indian education.

Historians and educators Jon Reyhner and Jeanne Eder begin by discussing Indian childrearing practices and the work of colonial missionaries in New France (Canada), New England, Mexico, and California, then conduct readers through the full array of government programs aimed at educating Indian children. From the passage of the Civilization Act of 1819 to the formation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1824 and the establishment of Indian reservations and vocation-oriented boarding schools, the authors frame Native education through federal policy eras: treaties, removal, assimilation, reorganization, termination, and self-determination. Thoroughly updated for this second edition, American Indian Education is the most comprehensive single-volume account, useful for students, educators, historians, activists, and public servants interested in the history and efficacy of educational reforms past and present.
 

Genres: History, Indigenous

412 pages, Paperback

First published April 3, 2006

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartbreaking but necessary read for anyone involved in educating members of our indigenous communities.

[Sammy Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to find this book as certainly few of its kind exist. I found this text to be an extremely helpful contextual piece in its attempt to build a comprehensive volume detailing the atrocious policy making and attitudes of Euroamerican sensibilities toward American Indians. It's an ambitious project, and while it isn't perfect, represents an excellent source for many to utilize as a spring board for further exploration. It can be a bit clunky at times, and I would have preferred to hear more Indigenous voices in the volume, yet the objective of the text is admirably faced as a solid contribution toward a discipline that deserves more attention, dialogue, scholarship, and representation in mainstream education and culture.

[Heather MacCorkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book that details the history of American Indian education. Thank you for such a wonderful book, Rehyner and Eder. You have written a book that anyone, layman to expert, will enjoy.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat episodic or disjointed, with less of a big picture, overall perspective than I'd hoped for. Still, lots of useful information, clearly presented. Includes a lot about actual classroom pedagogy, which isn't what I was looking for but would probably be really helpful for some readers.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of American Indian education.

[Allison6876 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for AMIN 3201W paper