Question

question 7 of 10

in 19th-century residential schools, indigenous children were often:

a. taught new ways to hunt, fish, and gather.
b. forced to live with white christian families.
c. punished for speaking indigenous languages.
d. allowed to practice their own spiritual beliefs.

Explanation:

Analyze the purpose of residential schools

In the 19th and 20th centuries, government-sponsored residential schools were established to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-American or Euro-Canadian culture. This policy aimed to systematically erase Indigenous cultures, languages, and traditions.

Evaluate the historical practices

Under this assimilationist policy, children were forbidden from speaking their native languages or practicing their traditional spiritual beliefs. Violations of these rules were met with severe physical, emotional, and psychological punishment.

Assess the given options

• A is incorrect: The schools did not teach traditional subsistence practices like hunting, fishing, and gathering; instead, they focused on manual labor and European-style agriculture.
• B is incorrect: While some children were placed in foster care or adopted out in later eras, the primary institution of the 19th century was the boarding/residential school itself, where children lived in dormitories rather than with individual white families.
• C is correct: Students were strictly punished for speaking their native languages as part of the forced cultural assimilation process.
• D is incorrect: Traditional spiritual practices were strictly banned in favor of mandatory Christian religious instruction.

Connect to broader historical themes

This policy of forced assimilation is a key aspect of Indigenous History, representing a systematic effort to dismantle Indigenous family structures and cultural continuity.

Answer:

• A. taught new ways to hunt, fish, and gather.
• B. forced to live with white Christian families.
• C. punished for speaking Indigenous languages. (Correct answer)
• D. allowed to practice their own spiritual beliefs.