Report Details Church-State Work on Native Schools

Report Details Church-State Work on Native Schools

Many Christian¹ organizations operated boarding schools for Native American children from the 19th to the early 20th centuries.

They were part of a project to remove Native culture, identity and land. And a new report from the U.S. Interior Department shows how closely the U.S. government was involved.

The Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigation² Report was started following the discoveries of hundreds of possible graves at former boarding schools in neighboring Canada. The report centers on the U.S. government's responsibility for its own officials' actions and policies.

The report also details how the government provided money and other support to religious boarding schools for Native children. The financial support would have normally been banned under rules on the separation between church and state. But the churches, the report says, also influenced the government and suggested people for appointments to federal positions on Native affairs.

The work between the church and the state is well known to experts in the field and has been the subject of past research. But the latest report brings it to a wider audience that has begun to learn about the boarding schools.

The Interior Department report, stating a 1969 Senate investigation, says that "federal policy toward the Indian was based on the desire to dispossess him of his land. Education policy was a function of our land policy."

An important part of that was training Native Americans in jobs that were less dependent on the land and separated them from tribal³ ties.

Another was turning native people to Christianity. An 1886 Commissioner⁴ for Indian Affairs document attacked Native spiritual traditions and said the government should provide help to missionaries⁵.

Last week's report also says the government provided the schools with money that was to be paid to the tribes for their land. The report notes a 1908 Supreme⁶ Court ruling that the ban on spending federal money on religious schools "did not apply to Indian treaty funds."

The report identifies 408 boarding schools for Native children in 37 states and former territories. They were operated or supported by the government between 1819 and 1969. The report does not say how many were church-run. But an earlier report by the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition⁷ found that more than 150 were. Catholic and Protestant groups operated about half each.

Last week, 76-year-old Matthew War Bonnet⁸ testified before U.S. lawmakers about his childhood experience at the schools in South Dakota.

"The government gave the churches our lands to Christianize us, modernize⁹ us and civilize¹⁰ us," Bonnet said. "But the churches treated us wrong. ... The government and the churches need to be held accountable." Bonnet is a Sicangu Lakota from the Rosebud¹¹ Sioux Reservation.

Bradley Hauff, a clergy¹² with the Episcopal Church, is a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He said church groups must deal with their history of working with the government on these policies.

"As much as we in the church might not want to acknowledge that, it is the truth...," he said.

At its General Convention in July, the Episcopal Church plans to vote on an investigation into its work with the schools. The church will also acknowledge its responsibility for causing emotional pain to generations of Native Americans.

In April, Pope Francis apologized at the Vatican to Indigenous¹³ groups from Canada for the conduct of members of the Catholic Church that operated the schools. He plans to apologize again in Canada in July.

Words in This Story

boarding school — n. a school where students can live during the school term

church — n. the institution of the Christian religion

function— n. something that results from something else

missionary¹⁴ — n. a person who is sent to a foreign country to do religious work

apply — v. to use in a particular situation

fund — n. an amount of money that is used for a special purpose

accountable — adj. required to be responsible for something

acknowledge — v. to say that you accept or do not deny the truth or existence of

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

4 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

5 missionaries   

n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时，从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

7 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

8 bonnet   

n.无边女帽；童帽

参考例句：

• The baby's bonnet keeps the sun out of her eyes.婴孩的帽子遮住阳光，使之不刺眼。
• She wore a faded black bonnet garnished with faded artificial flowers.她戴着一顶褪了色的黑色无边帽，帽上缀着褪了色的假花。

9 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

10 civilize   

vt.使文明，使开化 (=civilise)

参考例句：

• We must civilize away the boy's bad habit.我们必须教育这孩子使其改掉恶习。
• Those facilities are intended to civilize people.那些设施的目的在于教化民众。

11 rosebud   

n.蔷薇花蕾，妙龄少女

参考例句：

• At West Ham he was thought of as the rosebud that never properly flowered.在西汉姆他被认为是一个尚未开放的花蕾。
• Unlike the Rosebud salve,this stuff is actually worth the money.跟玫瑰花蕾膏不一样，这个更值的买。

12 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

13 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

14 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。