Unit 1 Journal (3)

ENGL-250-3

Dr. Clark

Xavier Stagg

Analysis: “Indian Boarding School: The Runaways” by Louise Erdrich is a poem that opens up
with an idea that our homes should be our comfort place. It should be a place where we should feel safe
and providing that sense of comfort and understanding of ourselves and where we came from. In this
poem the author addresses how many Indian children were taken from their homes and separated from
their families. These young children were admitted to a boarding school and subjected to abuse and
forced labor. Children should never have to experience such abuse and neglect. These children were
forced to live their lives in fear, isolated from their families, cultural traditions, religious faiths, and
beliefs. In this poem we are able to identify and understand the oppression and the psychological effects
of this boarding school.

Personal reactions: I really enjoyed reading this poem and hearing the experiences of Native
American Children. This poem depicts a detailed picture of the traumatic experiences these children
faced and understanding what happened and why it happened. What happened to these children was
very unfortunate and depressing since these children were robbed of their freedom and their identities.
I believe that personal autonomy is extremely important to a child’s social and emotional development
growth. When that personal autonomy is taken away or abused it can change the way the child
perceives the world. In this poem, I am able to see the point of view of the author, Native American’s
have experienced such oppression even the children. Thankfully, these children were able to return back
home to their families.