The issues surrounding Native American education are rooted in a history of upheaval, beginning with the government relocation of Native children from their families and tribal way of life to long-term boarding schools. It was a common practice at the time for this type of school to allow disciplinary punishment, such as physical beatings or starvation, of Native American children for speaking their Native language or practicing their spiritual beliefs. These schools, however, would later be exposed and dismantled for allowing such excessive forms of abuse. The circumstances that Native children faced during this time in history have continued to have deep-rooted ramifications on the way American Indians relate to mainstream education – this article expands on such ramifications.
