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Religion, public policy, and the education of Micmac Indians of Nova Scotia, 1605–1872 *
Author(s) -
RALSTON HELEN
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
canadian review of sociology/revue canadienne de sociologie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.414
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1755-618X
pISSN - 1755-6171
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-618x.1981.tb00067.x
Subject(s) - nova scotia , political science , publics , humanities , assimilation (phonology) , ideology , ethnology , sociology , art , law , politics , philosophy , linguistics
L'Caréducation des Indiens Micmacs de la Nouvelle‐Ecosse est analysée par rapport aux perspectives idéologiques qui ont informé les decisions des administrateurs publics et l'carœuvre des missionnaires à partir de 1605 jusquà 1872. Les données historiques indi‐quent que la politique de l'carEtat et de l'carEglise, française ou anglaise, avait pour but l'carassimi‐lation des Micmacs à la culture dominante de l'carEurope qu'on a présumée supérieure. On a perçu l'caréducation comme le principal moyen d'carassimilation. Les Micmacs n'avaient de contrôle ni sur leur propre éducation ni sur la formulation de la politique à leur égard. Education of the Micmac Indians of Nova Scotia is examined in terms of the ideological perspectives that informed the decisions of public administrators and the work of the missionaries from 1605 to 1872. Historical evidence indicates that both church and state policy, whether French or English, had as their goal the assimilation of the Micmac Indians to the dominant European culture that was assumed to be superior. Education was perceived as the principal means of achieving assimilation. Micmacs had no control over their own education, and virtually no say in formulating policy.