In 1819, Congress passed the Indian Civilization Act, in which they paid missionaries to educate Natives and promote the “civilization process.” In some cases, depending on the religious order and the period of history, Native American children were forcefully relocated and brought to these schools, where the United States began assimilating them into the Western way of life. This history is not forgotten today as efforts continue to fight against opportunity gaps within these schools adapting anti-racist and value oriented ideologies representative of the Native American experience.
