Religijne i edukacyjne konteksty amerykańskiej polityki asymilacyjnej wobec mniejszości etnicznych i tubylczych Amerykanów

Abstract

Jarema Drozdowicz – THE RELIGIOUS BASIS OF THE AMERICAN ASSIMILATION POLICY IN THE CONTEXT OF EDUCATION OF ETHNIC MINORITIES AND NATIVE AMERICANS This paper examines the problem of cultural assimilation policy in the Unites States. It stresses out the fact, that the ways of dealing with Native Americans or various ethnic minorities lie upon a religious basis. The religious foundation of that policy reaches back to the emergence of the Amer-ican society and the American state itself. Protestant and puritan character of the policy towards Indians in the New World was reflected in the most significant form in educational institutions. The so called „Indian schools” (later known as „boarding schools”) were institutions where the assimilation with the white settlers culture happened. Protestant set of social and cultural values did create a field of specific actions undertaken to civilize the Indians. They had to get rid of the old beliefs and customs to become fully fletched Christians, i.e. to become humans as well. The discus-sion surrounding the history of American Indian education shows us how this process affected not just the Indians themselves but the whole of the American society.