An 1892 rulebook for Indian schools

Rules for Indian Schools, with course of study, list of text-books, and civil service rules

The United States government began organizing schools for Indian children in the nineteenth century. Like the mission schools that preceeded them, these institutions were designed to teach Indians how to be white "Americans." The Office of Indian Affairs issued a series of books and pamphlets describing in exact detail how this process of assimilation was to occur. This guide provides not only the lessons and rules for the Indian children, but also the duties of each of the employees of the school, from the superintendent to the laundress and mechanic. The purpose and methods of this process are strikingly clear in rules such as no. 93: "Pupils must be compelled to converse with each other in English, and should be properly rebuked or punished for persistent violation of this rule. Every effort should be made to encourage them to abandon their tribal languages."

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