Native American people have been subject to colonial educational programs designed to erase their own cultures and replace them with Euro-American culture and values. This course will examine the ways culture and knowledge were transmitted traditionally in Indian communities, the ways the federal government and church organizations intervened in that process, the economic, racial, and cultural logic behind these actions, and the ways Native people have been affected by - and responded to - the situation up to the present day. Readings for the course will reflect Native responses to assimilationist educational policies and discuss the policy makers themselves. Student participation in class discussions is crucial.