In 1839, ten-year-old, Lucy receives a letter from her Aunt Emma saying that her mother and father have been killed in a wagon accident. Since Lucy has no one else to take care of her, her Aunt Emma and Uncle Edward offer to care for her at their mission school for Indians. Lucy, who lived in Detroit her entire life, had never had many encounters with Native Americans. Aunt Emma and Uncle Edward ran this school for young Indian children who had no one to care for them. She arrives at the school and is met by Aunt Emma’s cold, tough personality. Her aunt takes away Lucy’s books, her most prized possession. Uncle Edward is quiet, and does whatever he is asked to do by Aunt Emma. Lucy quickly adjusts to her new life, as Aunt Emma throws her into the daily routine of all the other children: schoolwork, chores, and learning how to be integrated into the white man’s world. A few weeks later, two more siblings come to stay at the school. A young girl, Raven, and her younger brother Star Face (renamed Matthew by Aunt Emma). Raven is the definition of rebellious. She refuses to give up her Native American culture, so she runs away from the school. Lucy is concerned for Raven, but knows she is close by because she sees Matthew with extra food and toys. When Matthew falls ill, Lucy begs Raven to come back to the school and care for her brother. Raven and Aunt Emma (who has also developed a bond with the young boy) set aside their differences for Matthew’s sake. Their father eventually returns for the two siblings. Lucy’s interactions with Raven have taught her to stand up for what she believes in and overcome her shyness. Most importantly, Raven showed Lucy how to survive on her own.
This book sends a powerful message about the trials and tribulations of Native Americans during this time in history. The Indian School would be a great book to accompany a social studies unit on Native American culture and the struggles they encountered during the 19th century. As a student, I did not learn about the harshness imposed on Native Americans until I was in high school. To me, this is unacceptable. As one activity, you could have students write letters to Raven and/or Lucy, explaining how this book made them feel and how their views have changed since reading this book. If the teacher wanted to pursue a more ambitious lesson, they could ask a Native American to come to class and speak about their history, culture, traditions, and hardships as a group throughout history. Then, students could write letter to the special guest and connect the guests' stories to The Indian School.
This book sends a powerful message about the trials and tribulations of Native Americans during this time in history. The Indian School would be a great book to accompany a social studies unit on Native American culture and the struggles they encountered during the 19th century. As a student, I did not learn about the harshness imposed on Native Americans until I was in high school. To me, this is unacceptable. As one activity, you could have students write letters to Raven and/or Lucy, explaining how this book made them feel and how their views have changed since reading this book. If the teacher wanted to pursue a more ambitious lesson, they could ask a Native American to come to class and speak about their history, culture, traditions, and hardships as a group throughout history. Then, students could write letter to the special guest and connect the guests' stories to The Indian School.
