A Level History - America - Practice Exam

What practice did the Bureau of Indian Affairs endorse to assimilate Native Americans?

1. Encouragement of tribal governance

2. Introduction of Native languages in schools

3. Promotion of Native American spirituality

4. Forcing children into boarding schools for education

The correct answer is: Forcing children into boarding schools for education

The Bureau of Indian Affairs endorsed the practice of forcing Native American children into boarding schools as a primary means of assimilating them into mainstream American culture. This approach was rooted in the belief that the best way to "civilize" Native Americans was to remove them from their families and communities and educate them in a way that promoted European-American values, language, and customs. These boarding schools often enforced strict rules that prohibited the use of Native languages and cultural practices, aiming to eradicate Indigenous identities to create a homogenized American society. Children were often taken from their homes at a young age and subjected to harsh conditions, as well as physical and emotional discipline, to discourage any adherence to their ethnic identities. The other options do not align with the Bureau's assimilation strategies during this period. Encouragement of tribal governance and promotion of Native American spirituality would have supported Indigenous identities, rather than assimilating them. Similarly, the introduction of Native languages in schools contradicts the focus on erasing Indigenous languages in favor of English in boarding school environments.