Kill the Indian, Save the Man: American Indian Residential Schools

Ward Churchill talked about his book Kill the Indian, Save the Man: The Genocidal Impact of American Indian Residential Schools, published by City Lights Publishers. The author talked about the history of government-created American Indian residential schools and argued that these schools had genocidal aims. Professor Churchill said that while the term “genocide” is widely understood to refer only to the mass killing of an ethnic group, the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide defines it in broader terms, which apply to the policies of the U.S. government towards Native American children throughout much of the 20th Century. He described the treatment that these children received and discussed the impact of these schools on Native American society today. Following his remarks, he responded to questions and comments submitted by members of the audience. close