Colonized through Art

American Indian Schools and Art Education, 1889–1915. An examination of the use of art education in government-controlled schools as an instrument for assimilating American Indian children at the turn of the twentieth century.
 . Colonized through Art explores how the federal government used art education for American Indian children as an instrument for the “colonization of consciousness,” 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 world’s fairs and local community exhibitions, Marinella Lentis examines how the U.S. government’s solution to the “Indian problem” 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 art a natural tool for policy makers and educators to use in achieving their assimilationist goals of turning student “savages” into civilized men and women. Despite such educational regimes for students, however, Indigenous ideas about art often emerged “from below,” 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 “Native” crafts that were exhibited at local and international fairs. The purchase of these crafts by the general public turned students’ work into commodities and schools into factories.

 

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK within 48 hours of receipt during working hours.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-5 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.