Chapter 2: Chickasaw Children Go to School

In the previous chapter I had mentioned Reverend Carr's envisiones of an all female boarding school, which was later built and named the Bloomfield Academy for Chickasaw Females. The history of his plans for success was just the beginning of a new life for Chickasaw women who believed that literacy was crucial to thier life skills and future. However, chapter two tells a little bit of history prior to the boarding school. For instance, I learned that at one time it has been believed that the Choctaw and Chickasaw were one nation.

The stories is told that during migration, a sacred pole was carried by the tribes holy men every day of the march, and at night as the men placed the pole upright into the ground, in the morning it would magically be pointing toward the east. This continued until after crossing the Mississippi River, two brothers had argued on which direction the pole was leaning. They were unable to settle their argument and so they separated each taking members of the tribe with them. This is the condensed version of their traditional creation story. Today, the Chickasaw and the Choctaw both share similar creation stories, although the dialect has minor differences, they both share the same language.

It also touches base regarding the Removal Act of 1830, the fourteen treaties with the U.S. government between 1786-1902, the expenses from tribal funds to build indian boarding schools, and the excitement of finally attending schools to educate themselves on literacy. Unlike other Native American tribes, Chickasaw nation welcomed the english language. It is interesting how in this chapter it shared the history, traditional values, and the importance of education. The collision with white settlers demanding land on their reservations and the birth of sovereignty and independence. This second chapter gives history and knowledge of the beginnings of how the Bloomfield Academy for Chickasaw Females came to be, as well as other boarding schools throughout the reservations.

Listening to our Grandmother's Stories: Chapter 1

After having a difficult time deciding on which book to read, I would like to share my first chapter of Listening To Our Grandmothers' Stories, The Bloomfield Academy for Chickasaw Females. The photo that I have posted along with this blog was retrieved from Google Image.

The very beginning of the chapter explains the history as far as the government and how lands and the children were taken away from families to attend boarding schools and introductions to several changes that had affected the children culturally. Christianity, values, dress, and livelihood was one of the few hurdles that our elders had to overcome.

A gentleman by the name of Reverend John Harpole Carr had envisioned a schoolhouse built for Chickasaw girls, a boarding school where the boys were not allowed. His hopes for the school an ideology of literacy which included salvation, civilization, nationalism, individualism, properity and imagination was one of the few expectation that he had as a Superintendant and for is wife Angelina to teach. In the Fall of 1852, The Bloomfield Academy for Chickasaw females opened to 25 students located in what is now called Achelle, Oklahoma. Remarkable for many reasons, the school was known to be different from other boarding schools. First, the school was founded by the Chickasaw Nation. Not only because the government demanded it, but because they understood how important literacy was equally part of survival. Second, at the end of the nineteenth century was recognized at it's best as an academy for females. It was far superior toa any schooling provided for whites in Indian Territory and that it lasted long after common schools were put in place.

It continues to mention the history of other Indian Boarding Schools, Chilocco being one. Similar to other boarding schools, Bloomfield's student instructions consisted of Academic Literacy Curriculum, which entailed the common standard school curriculum of reading, writing, arithmetic, and history. Social Literacy, was considered more of an "extracurricular" activity such as art, dancing, etiquette skills, and mannerisms. Religious Literacy, included training in rituals, devotions, prayers, singing hyms and attending bible school and study. Domestic Literacy, consisted of teaching cooking, sewing, gardening, child care, animal care, and personal hygiene. Teaching by these four literacy skills were to believe the lives that the Chickasaw women would lead. At the end of this chapter, it lists a few of the women whom shared their stories, the years they attended Bloomfield, thier tribal affliation and their current residence.

I am eager to read more information on just how different Bloomfield Academy was compared to Chilocco Indian Boarding School or any other schools located off the reservations.

"Hm! White Boy! You Got No Business Here!"

After Reading about the experiences that the students had during their attendance at Chilocco Boarding School, I have come to the realization of what our elders have seen and it is through their stories that they have shared, that I am more aware and respectful of thier hardships and experiences. They have learned at a young age the sense of independence and responsibility. This has a different and whole new perspective on how our younger children are being raised and how different their challenges are, than from the challenges that our elders had to face.

Waking up early in the morning, working in the fields, cooking, cleaning, chores, and the list goes on and on. Adjusting to a new environment, moving away from thier parents and home to have an education and the sacrifices that they were dealt; had our children today have an opportunity to experience that life, would they adjust? How would it have affected them? How have our times change? It has changed significantly. In this video, it is does not need any explanation of how I felt as I watched this video.

Thank you for allowing us to experience education in a whole new level. I have not heard about Chilocco Indian Boarding School until this assignment and I can assure you that I am looking forward to researching in depth other experiences in other boarding schools throughout the country.