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- Tucson Indian school was founded in 1888 with the purpose of facilitating the assimilation of native children of the Pima and Papago (currently known as the Tohono O’odham) tribes from the area around what is now Tucson, Arizona. The school was created under federal acts with the goal of indoctrinating native American children into western colonial society by separating them from their communities' culture and reeducating them in boarding schools. The Civilization Fund acts of 1819 were enacted to prevent conflict between American settlers and native peoples through assimilative outreach programs to introduce the native to habits and culture of colonial civilization. President Grant's peace policy of 1869 allowed for the creation of federally funded native American boarding schools and gave Christian religious groups jurisdiction over tribes to allow them to run native reservations on behalf of the tribe. The Presbyterian church took agency over the Pima and Papago tribes. In 1886 John B. Riley, the federal Indian school superintendent decided there was a need for a boarding school for the Pima and Papago people. The Presbyterian church then agreed to build and run a religious boarding school for the native children of the Tucson area. The school was constructed on 15 acres of land on what is now the corner of 5th st and 2nd avenue in the city of Tucson. The land was leased from the city of Tucson under a 99 year contract for a dollar a year. Two two story buildings were constructed on the site along with smaller housing cottages. The main school building was made out of redwood and pine and contained two classrooms, a cafeteria, three teachers rooms and a dining room/teacher lounge. The second building was built out of adobe and acted as a kitchen, laundry, and storeroom. In 1888 the Philadelphia board of missionaries hired Mary Whittaker and Howard Billman to be the head teacher and superintendent of the new Indian school respectively. During its first year the school housed and taught 58 students, 31 boys and 27 girls. Half of the student population were members of the Pima tribe and the other half of the student population were members of the Papago tribe. Tuition for the students came from the US government, they agreed to 125$ per student per year as long as the school continued to conform to government educational and health standards as well as ingrain Christian teachings and practices into their students. During Billman's time as superintendent he focused on expanding the school facilities and manual career training. An additional brick building was constructed to serve as an additional dormitory space and classrooms. 42 acres of land adjacent to the school was purchased by the Presbyterian board of missions to serve as farmland for the school. A windmill, well, livestock shelters and storage barns were constructed on the farm site. Much of the construction of the new facilities was performed by teenage male students as a part of their school curriculum. Following an epidemic of scarlet fever and measles among the Pima and Papago population, Billman secured funds and built a medical center on the school campus that serves the Pima and Papago communities. After six years as superintendent Howard Billman facilitated the construction of several new buildings and expanded the farm operation to the point where the school could sell their crops for funding. Billman's expansion allowed the enrollment of a total of 175 students. The farm profits allowed for the school to become financially independent from the US government to the point where the Presbyterian board of missions could assume full financial responsibility of the school and thus ended its tuition funding contract with the US government. Expansion continued after Billman resigned as superintendent. By 1930 the school campus covered 160 acres with 9 buildings and 60 acres of irrigated farm land. The expansion and financial independence of the school allowed them to have students from tribes other than the Pima and Papago, and by 1940 the school enrolled students from over 18 different tribes. (en)
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- 9650 (xsd:nonNegativeInteger)
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- Tucson Indian school was founded in 1888 with the purpose of facilitating the assimilation of native children of the Pima and Papago (currently known as the Tohono O’odham) tribes from the area around what is now Tucson, Arizona. The school was created under federal acts with the goal of indoctrinating native American children into western colonial society by separating them from their communities' culture and reeducating them in boarding schools. The Civilization Fund acts of 1819 were enacted to prevent conflict between American settlers and native peoples through assimilative outreach programs to introduce the native to habits and culture of colonial civilization. President Grant's peace policy of 1869 allowed for the creation of federally funded native American boarding schools and gav (en)
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- Tucson Indian School (en)
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