Entry #8: Re-evaluating what aspects of U.S.A. History are taught in U.S.A schools.

Recently I watched a documentary titled " The Thick Dark Fog" regarding the experiences of Native Americans who were involuntarily made to attend government boarding schools from 1879 to the 1960's. Previous to watching this, I had no idea something like this had ever occurred on  U.S.A. soil. None of this was ever taught in elementary school, or high school. The documentary gives the perspective of Native American people who were forced and sometimes taken from their homes unwillingly to boarding schools where they were taught to "lose their savage ways," and learn the "white mans way." They were beaten physically and mentally damaged. They didn't have positive, caring adult role models, which research has now shown to be necessary for proper social, mental, and cognitive development. From other documentaries, I had known that Native American people were forced to speak English and many lost their native languages. This documentary showed that the children were also prevented from speaking anything but English at the boarding schools.

The following is a trailer of the documentary.

The most thought-provoking point for me was when it was detailed that the ancient Native American people viewed their children as their greatest value. An ideology many parents, grandparents, etc, currently and throughout history can and have surely agree with. But the riveting point was that many Native American nations had the belief that harming children or those in their tribe was beyond shameful, unacceptable and caustic to their society. But as the children in the government boarding schools grew up, they had the new knowledge that violence among each other is acceptable, because they were beaten continuously as children. They learned as future parents that violence against their own children or family members was okay. From a neuroscience aspect, it can be argued that their brains/neuronal connections were literally wired to respond with violence to different situations or maybe as a basis of behaving, because that was the only coping method/mode of being they learned and were taught. This film highlights the effects experiences can have on the brain and in turn on behavior.

Another aspect of United States history that was never taught, (at least not in my schools) in elementary or high school was the Japanese Internment Camps made possible by Executive Order 9066 allowed by President Roosevelt ("Construction and Destruction). After the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack by the Japanese, around 112,000 Americans of Japanese descent/origin were placed in prison-camps as a "precautionary measure" against espionage or possible attacks ("Construction and Destruction"). I learned of this fact of U.S.A history during my high school years after watching some documentaries on my own time.

When studying and re-telling the history of a nation, a diverse picture should be presented; one that is a well-developed, well-rounded illustration that focuses on all groups of people that have played a part in the making of the nation. For example in both elementary school and high school the curriculum included learning of the 13 colonies, the pilgrims and their struggles and fates. Of the wars fought against the French and the British. Yet the curriculum never included learning the many different names and customs of the various Native American tribes. It didn't include learning the contributions of Native American ideology from the Iroquois that were used in the founding of the U.S. Constitution. It didn't include the contributions of Americans of African descent, where in Africa they were taken from, or their in-depth personal struggles in slavery.

There have been many mistakes made throughout history, by all peoples of all nations, but hiding particularly gruesome aspects of history helps no one: it is not about placing blame, rather it is about learning. A complete picture of history, or one that is as complete as possible creates a stronger, more knowledgeable nation.

Resources:

"Construction and Destruction." Asian Nation: Asian American History, Demographis & Issues. Asian-Nation.org. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.