Negotiating Assimilation and Missionization in Indian Territory: Native Americans, the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions, and Boarding Schools in Oklahoma, 1870s-1960s

From the 1870s through the 1960s, Indian Territory and Oklahoma were at the center of federal assimilation policies and Catholic missionization efforts, particularly in the form of Indian boarding schools. In Negotiating Assimilation and Missionization in Indian Territory, Professor Bryan Rindfleisch explores the complex history and enduring repercussions of Catholic Indian boarding schools for both Native American and Catholic communities in Oklahoma. By delving into archival records, personal narratives, and community responses, Professor Rindfleisch weaves together independent historical analysis with understanding of what Native American students, families, and tribes endured in the name of assimilation. Read more