Hansen/Curtis, 1/E, Ch

Visual Evidence: The Residential School System for First Nations Children

This activity corresponds to the "Visual Evidence: The Residential School System for First Nations Children" feature in your textbook. The questions below are designed to help you learn more about the topic. Once you have answered the Comprehension questions, submit your answers and move on to the subsequent questions included in the Analysis and Outside Sources sections. Each section is designed to build upon the one before it, taking you progressively deeper into the subject you are studying. After you have answered all of the questions, you will have the option of emailing your responses to your instructor.

Introduction The Canadian residential school system and its American counterparts were only one of many ways by which the North American governments worked to assimilate Native Americans into Western culture. The authorities of both governments judged assimilation to a benefit to otherwise uncivilized Native Americans, one that would be forced upon them if they refused to accept it. At the same time, however, many Americans and Canadians were aware of the costs of assimilation and strove to document what was lost. One of these people was Pauline Johnson-Tekahionwake, the Traveler of Chapter 25 in your textbook. Another was the American artist George Catlin, a sample of whose work you will find below.

Comprehension 1. What school did Thomas Moore attend?

2. What was the purpose of the school?

3. What did Moore wear in the before picture?

Analysis Go to http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/pimage?50059+0+0 and examine George Catlin's painting, Assinneboine Chief before and after Civilization.

1. How does Catlin use clothing and personal possessions to suggest the effect of assimilation on the Assinneboine chief?

2. What do you think Catlin is trying to suggest through the placement of the figure in relation to the background in the two halves of the painting?

3. Do you think that Catlin's painting endorses or opposes the mission of institutions, such as the Canadian residential school system?

Outside Sources Here a few more images of Native Americans by George Catlin and other the American artists:  http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/pimage?50153+0+0  http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/abrc/ho_07.80.htm  http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/modl/ho_39.65.54a,b.htm  http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/modl/ho_1973.257.htm

1. What do these works have in common? How are they different?

2. What attitude do these artists have toward unassimilated Native Americans?

3. Why might members of the American viewing public been interested in seeing such images of Native Americans?