Colonized through Art explores how the federal government used art education for American Indian children as an instrument for the ldquo;colonization of consciousness;rdquo; hoping to instill the values and ideals of Western society while simultaneously maintaining a political; social; economic; and racial hierarchy. Focusing on the Albuquerque Indian School in New Mexico; the Sherman Institute in Riverside; California; and the worldrsquo;s fairs and local community exhibitions; Marinella Lentis examines how the U.S. governmentrsquo;s solution to the ldquo;Indian problemrdquo; at the end of the nineteenth century emphasized education and assimilation. Educational theories at the time viewed art as the foundation of morality and as a way to promote virtues and personal improvement. These theories made the subject of art a natural tool for policy makers and educators to use in achieving their assimilationist goals of turning student ldquo;savagesrdquo; into civilized men and women. Despite such educational regimes for students; however; indigenous ideas about art oftentimes emerged ldquo;from below;rdquo; particularly from well-known art teachers such as Arizona Swayney and Angel DeCora.Colonized through Art explores how American Indian schools taught children to abandon their cultural heritage and produce artificially ldquo;nativerdquo; crafts that were exhibited at local and international fairs. The purchase of these crafts by the general public turned studentsrsquo; work into commodities and schools into factories.
2016-10-18 2016-10-18File Name: B01MF9L7OG
Review
