Tulalip Washington Native Indian School Girls Real Photo Postcard

The image depicts girls likely attending one of the numerous Indian boarding schools established in the United States and Canada during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These institutions, often run by government or religious organizations, aimed to "civilize" Indigenous children by forcibly separating them from their families and tribal communities. The intent was to assimilate them into dominant Euro-American culture, suppressing their native languages, customs, and spiritual beliefs.

This era represents a period of aggressive assimilation policies, epitomized by the phrase "Kill the Indian, Save the Man." Children were typically subjected to strict discipline, forced haircuts, new English names, and vocational training designed to prepare them for manual labor or domestic service. The legacy of these schools is complex, marked by profound intergenerational trauma, cultural loss, and documented instances of abuse, significantly impacting Indigenous communities for generations.