stream of sherman

Just some thoughts to start. In many high schools, not so much in California, football is very important. More so, the city comes together through the celebration of a local rivalry and the expression of competition through sports. The schools collect and cheer on their team as they battle against the odds. This culture, in itself reflects something very "American."
Now stepping away from a general American high school football team and looking at Sherman Indian High School, I feel like there is a "Americanizing" of the Indian people attending the school. But rather then the obvious forced cultural disolution and substitution, the institute is itself a breeding ground (maybe literally, but I meant in a figurative sense). The school presents itself as a place of collective Indian gathering, where families from many different tribes gather to grow up together. Maybe the ethnic collection would make an outside imagine a place of cultural preservation, where Indian history and tradition is remembered and treasued.
Looking at the actual courses. The school began as a mainly vocationally training based school. Men learned handicrafts and woman learned skills that would assist them in being good domestic help. A instititue made to transform the 'radical' indians into working contributing members of American society. At the expence of thier self-worth and willingness to step beyond the ingrained boundaries. Attend this school and you are taught your place in society as a native American.
Things that were not talked about...What are these graduates doign with their lives now? They celebrate the teacher who is a graduate from the institute, but then ignore the occupations of the many other graduates. The school is celebrated for being a great place because it is an accepting atmosphere for the other natives, but in what ways does that seclude them from learning what other things there are to learn. Opposingly, what negative effects does it have upon the rest of American society for all of the native Americans to be taken and sent to a isolated school?
I particularly found the portions celelbrated by the video to be interesting. The video paints a picture of the students and graduates humanity through their 'regular' adolescent incidents. But the celebration of the boy who was on the basketball team, student government, and got great grades...What did that tell about the values of the school? Obviously it initially did not value the embracing of native culture. How are the average grades of the school? What is the drop out rate? College acceptance and employeement statistics?...theres some for the stream of conciousness.