Brin==That school I will never foget ==First they cut your hair==take you clothes and then start beating on you till you know thier talk==then beat you for not saying sir or thank you on and on==the one thing you learn is hate==my father-in-law hated every one he blamed his mother and father for letting them take him==hated the school==hated everone at that place he made his family toe the mark with a razor strop==hated everything till he went across the river SHADOW BEAR

I was in a school like that, there were rows of bench desks each was 1 grade all in the same room. The older kids would slap us littler ones in the back of the head when the teacher would turn her back, we would dip our pens in the well and flick ink on them then it would get noisy, some one would roll up a paper and make a spit wad then hit the teacher and we would all have to catch heck because the no one would tell on the other, every one would bust out laughing at the teachers dismayed looks and we would do chores for recess and after school we would catch it at home because our parents then were mad because they had to wait after school to take us home. So all in all we found out, there was a strap at school and home, plus chores and so we soon stopped getting into trouble. All the parents would get together where we lived and all us kids were on dangerous grounds goofing up. Now as for how people were treated - we had some Indian boys ,and some Mexicans, every one was treated the same there. In the early years like Shadowbear speaks I have only read about from the actual people and just say this - I was glad to see times change for the kids in school. Dan M ----- Original Message ----- From: "shadowbear270" <shadowbear270@webtv.net> To: <CHEROKEE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2006 11:42 AM Subject: [Cherokee Circle] Hair Cut > Brin==That school I will never foget ==First they cut your hair==take > you clothes and then start beating on you till you know thier talk==then > beat you for not saying sir or thank you on and on==the one thing you > learn is hate==my father-in-law hated every one he blamed his mother and > father for letting them take him==hated the school==hated everone at > that place he made his family toe the mark with a razor strop==hated > everything till he went across the river > > SHADOW BEAR ===================================

Hi Shadowbear, I feel really bad about how they were treated at the boarding schools. I wish everyone was treated the same and with kindness and respect. What did you mean that your father in law hated everyone until he went across the river. Tonya ----- Original Message ----- From: "shadowbear270" <shadowbear270@webtv.net> To: <CHEROKEE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2006 2:42 PM Subject: [Cherokee Circle] Hair Cut > Brin==That school I will never foget ==First they cut your hair==take > you clothes and then start beating on you till you know thier talk==then > beat you for not saying sir or thank you on and on==the one thing you > learn is hate==my father-in-law hated every one he blamed his mother and > father for letting them take him==hated the school==hated everone at > that place he made his family toe the mark with a razor strop==hated > everything till he went across the river > > SHADOW BEAR > > > ==== CHEROKEE Mailing List ==== > <<>OPEN forum to all Cherokee topics - except Genealogy<>> > <>Culture-History-Language-Folk lore and Truths<> > Good Manners & Language is required to be on the list > ALL the links you will need to sub and unsub or contact listowner below > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Ethnic-Native/CHEROKEE.html > > ============================== > Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. > New content added every business day. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx > >

Shadow Bear, those are very hurtful times and many are still alive today who remember it and like you, your life was also changed from what it might have been because of your step dad's traumas. Some never did recover from such physical and emotional abuse (as your step dad). They were being punished for existing and they never did anything wrong or understood why they were treated that way. My heart cries for those souls and I pray they find peace now and before they cross the river. I am sorry for bringing up such memories and I almost did not send the post, but I felt is was more than just a 'hair cut' being talked about. I saw and understood the fun in the hair cut posts but also felt there should be something said about the hair being cut in the first place. It's our culture's history and people's life experiences. Sgi, for sharing how it was in your family. Brin ----- Original Message ----- From: "shadowbear270" <shadowbear270@webtv.net> To: <CHEROKEE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2006 1:42 PM Subject: [Cherokee Circle] Hair Cut > Brin==That school I will never foget ==First they cut your hair==take > you clothes and then start beating on you till you know thier talk==then > beat you for not saying sir or thank you on and on==the one thing you > learn is hate==my father-in-law hated every one he blamed his mother and > father for letting them take him==hated the school==hated everone at > that place he made his family toe the mark with a razor strop==hated > everything till he went across the river > > SHADOW BEAR