In this article by Carol Devens, "If we get the Girls, We get Race" talks about the boarding school education of Native American Girls." The author tells some history and stories of trouble within the boarding school. She starts out by describing horrible and heartbreaking separations between parents and daughters. One of these girls who experienced government boarding school was a Native American girl named Zitkala, who is now an activist for her culture. She describes how heartbroken her mother was when she left and how it affected her. These mission schools mostly concentrated on teaching boys with little emphasis on female schooling. This concept changed through time. Instead they realized that women grow up to be mothers then teach their sons. I learned the main reason why boarding school was brought forth. Through colonization, the white men wanted to strip the traditions of the Native Americans. These schools were to entice the young Native American to reject tradition and seek conversion. That was the reason why children were driven away from their families. Mission was used to change their religion and convert them to Christianity. Even though most girls had their suspicion about missionaries, they were attending anyways. Girl like Zitkala, experienced loneliness and sadness while attending the schools.
This article interests me. While reading, I tried to imagine or picture myself if I had to be put through in that situation. If I had to be far away from my parents at a young age and be told by others of what I had to believe in, is just sad. The girls who attended these schools were sad, alone, and had to be forced to try to look like a different person. They had to cut their hair and dress like a "civilized" person. Also, they had to change the way they behaved and learn to live differently. However, some of these girls used that sad event as a motivation to do what’s right for their people.
This article is relatable because I feel like in modern times, little girls are still targeted. Little girls today are easily targeted. Little and teenage girls are taught how to be socially acceptable. For example, through social media girls are expected to look a certain way. They have to be smart but not too smart or else they might out shine the men. In order to be considered pretty and acceptable, girls have to be thin. The way missions tell these girls how to look was harsher than how we tell are girls today.