History ETDs

Publication Date

9-1-2015

Abstract

Conflict, Tension, Strength,' explores the longevity of three separate Catholic Indian missions in the West: St. Paul's Mission in Hays, Montana; St. Labre Indian School in Ashland, Montana; and St. Stephens Indian School in St. Stephens, Wyoming. These mission schools, in part, possess two common traits: they have all reached the 125-year milestone and they are all located on or adjacent to reservations that serve two distinct Indian tribes. St. Paul's Mission is on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, home to the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine tribes. St. Labre Indian School serves students from the Northern Cheyenne and Crow reservations. St. Stephens Indian School is on the Wind River Indian Reservation, shared by the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes. Although these schools share a rocky legacy founded on assimilation and Catholicism, their efforts at cultural revitalization after Vatican Council II and Indian self-determination legislation warrant attention. By following this long trajectory, a true sense of adaptability and preservation emerges. Over the course of time, these three schools have intertwined themselves into the fabric of the community. Catholic Indian missions are not a relic of the past, but a part of the evolution and current story of Indian education.

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Degree Name

History

Department Name

History

First Committee Member (Chair)

Ball, Durwood

Second Committee Member

Cahill, Cathleen

Third Committee Member

McKevitt, Gerald

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

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