Government Boarding School at Lac du Flambeau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Government Boarding School at Lac du Flambeau
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The boys' dormitory
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| Location | Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin |
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| NRHP reference No. | 040001005 |
The Government Boarding School at Lac du Flambeau in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin was a special school. From 1895 to 1932, it taught Native American children from the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa tribes. The goal was to teach them mainstream American culture.
The school taught grades 1-8. It offered both regular school subjects and practical skills. These skills were meant to help children in their rural communities. In 1932, the school changed to a day school. It then served only Ojibwe children and other nearby tribal children.
After 1975, a new law helped Native American tribes. The Ojibwe tribe at Lac du Flambeau took control of the school. Today, they use the old boys' dormitory for important tribal offices. These offices handle historic preservation, the Ojibwe language, and cultural activities.
The boys' dormitory is one of the few buildings left from the school. It was once a large complex with many buildings on 300 acres. The school used to grow its own food and raise animals. This school complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. It is an important historic site in Vilas County.
Contents
A Look Back: History of the School
The Ojibwe people have lived at Lac du Flambeau for a very long time. Around 1745, under a leader named Giishkiman (Sharpened Stone), they settled near Flambeau Lake. A fur trading post was built there in 1792. It operated until about 1835.
A Presbyterian missionary visited the area starting in 1832. The Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation was later created here.
Logging and Government Policies
Major logging began in the winter of 1885 when timber companies found valuable trees. The government leased the land. They were supposed to give the money from these leases back to the tribe. However, many of these funds were not managed well. The first United States Indian agent arrived in 1888. A church was built in 1894.
For many years, the U.S. government tried to make Native Americans live like European-Americans. This was called assimilation. Government officials believed that separating Native American children from their families would help. They thought it would be easier to teach them English and American culture. They wanted children to become farmers or laborers.
This policy, however, caused harm to Ojibwe and other Native American children. It took away their own culture and traditions.
Boarding Schools Across Wisconsin
Ojibwe children were sent to government boarding schools as early as 1856. The Bureau of Indian Affairs opened the Lac du Flambeau boarding school in 1895. Other similar schools in Wisconsin included the Menominee Boarding School at Keshena and the Oneida Boarding School at Oneida.
There were also non-government schools. Saint Mary's at Odanah was run by Franciscan Sisters. The Lutheran church operated Wittenberg School. The Tomah Industrial School in Tomah, Wisconsin also opened around this time. Some Ojibwe children attended day schools, like one at Lac Courte Oreilles. Others were sent to faraway boarding schools, such as Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Life at the Boarding School
Children from ages five to fifteen had to attend the Lac du Flambeau school. This covered grades 1-8. At the boarding school, children were forced to stop speaking their Native languages. They also had to give up their traditional ceremonies, foods, and clothing. Breaking these rules could lead to physical punishment.
The school ran year-round, without summer breaks. This was to make sure children were fully immersed in the new culture. It also made it hard for children to visit their homes.
The school started with seven or eight buildings on 300 acres. These schools tried to be self-sufficient, like a large farm. Children were expected to work. This taught them farming, practical skills, and how to process food. The boys' dormitory, built around 1895, is the building you see in the picture. Over time, more buildings were added. These included dormitories, classrooms, a hospital, and various workshops.
Daily Schedule and Learning
The school's academic subjects were typical for the time. These included math, reading, spelling, ethics, civics, geography, and history. As students got older, the lessons became more practical. Boys learned farming, carpentry, and blacksmithing. Girls learned child-rearing, home nursing, cooking, and sewing. Older students helped with the work needed to run the school.
A typical weekday schedule was very strict:
- 5:30 AM: Wake up and drills
- 6:30: Assembly
- 6:45: Breakfast
- 7:30: Work in industrial departments began
- 8:45: Academic classes began
- 11:30: All departments finished work
- 12:00 PM: Dinner
- 1:00: Industrial departments began work again
- 1:15: Academic classes began again
- 4:00: Academic departments finished
- 5:00: Industrial departments finished
- 5:30: Supper
- 7:00: Evening hour (study or quiet time)
- 7:30: Younger students went to bed
- 9:00: Older students went to bed
On weekends, children had some time for fun. But their living spaces were also inspected to make sure they were tidy. On Sunday mornings, every child attended either Protestant or Catholic church services.
Most students were Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa from northern Wisconsin. Some children were even taken from their families by force. School staff and tribal police would sometimes remove children without their parents' permission.
In 1898, Charley Catfish wrote a letter to the Indian agent. He asked if the school could take children without their parents' consent. He mentioned a four-year-old boy who was taken and was very sick. The agent replied that no child that young was at the school.
Some Native people chose to live off the reservation. This was a way to keep their children and protect their culture from the school's reach.
Changes and Apologies
By the 1920s, the government started to question if boarding schools were truly effective. A 1928 report, known as the Meriam Report, said that the schools were "grossly inadequate." It noted that food was poor, schools were too crowded, and children worked too much. The report also said that punishments were harmful and that schools didn't understand how children developed.
In the 1920s, Native crafts were added to the curriculum at Lac du Flambeau. By 1932, the school changed from a boarding school to a day school.
The school had a very strong impact on the tribal community. Traditional spiritual beliefs were often replaced by Christianity. Traditional dances were replaced by square dances. Native languages were replaced by English. Within two generations, many young adults felt they didn't fit into either their traditional culture or the surrounding white communities.
After the Indian Self-Determination and Educational Assistance Act was passed in 1975, the Ojibwe people took over the school. They now manage and operate it. The school buildings have been updated for tribal uses. For example, the boys' dormitory now holds offices for tribal programs. These include the LDF Tribal Historic Preservation Program, the Ojibwe Language Program, and the Cultural Activities Program.
In 2000, the Department of Interior formally apologized for past actions. They admitted that their actions had harmed Native American people for generations. In 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama signed a similar apology into law. A sign outside the school states that the boys' dormitory is a "constant reminder of the near destruction of Native language and culture." It is preserved as a memorial to all the children who attended.
Images for kids
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The boys' dormitory, one of the few remaining buildings.
