Cultivating the Rosebuds: The Education of Women at the Cherokee Female Seminary, 1851-1909University of Illinois Press, 1993 - 212 pages Established by the Cherokee Nation in 1851 in present-day eastern Oklahoma, the nondenominational Cherokee Female Seminary was one of the most important schools in the history of American Indian education. Unusual among Indian schools because it was founded by neither the federal government nor by missionary agencies, the school offered a rigorous curriculum from elementary grades through high school that was patterned after that of Mount Holyoke Female Seminary. It offered no instruction in the Cherokee language or culture, but it was open only to full- and mixed-blood Cherokee girls. Many of the seminarians were acculturated Cherokees who welcomed the opportunity to study in an environment where white ways were held up as the ideal. More traditional Cherokees found the atmosphere oppressive. Devon Mihesuah explores the school's history, examining curriculum, faculty, administration, and educational philosophy and showing how these elements affected the 2,300 women who were educated there. A number of the seminary's graduates went on to study at colleges and universities across the country, becoming teachers, physicians, businesswomen, and social workers. Even those former students who did not seek careers exerted considerable influence within their families and in civic life. Cultivating the Rosebuds is a study of acculturation, assimilation, and tribal identity, sensitively delving into the differences between progressive and traditional Cherokees and the interactions between them. It also offers insights into the school's role in the tribe's cultural transitions, the changing roles of Cherokee women, and the impact of the students' experiences upon their tribe. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 25
Page 157
... ( November 1867 to November 1875 ) , Charles Thompson ( November 1875 to November 1879 ) , Dennis Bushyhead ( November 1879 to November 1888 ) , Joel Mayes ( January 1888 to December 1891 ) , T. M. Buf- fington ( 5-23 December 1891 , and ...
... ( November 1867 to November 1875 ) , Charles Thompson ( November 1875 to November 1879 ) , Dennis Bushyhead ( November 1879 to November 1888 ) , Joel Mayes ( January 1888 to December 1891 ) , T. M. Buf- fington ( 5-23 December 1891 , and ...
Page 163
... November 1878 ; Eliza Mills d . August 1878 ; Jane Couch d . 18 November 1878 ; Lucinda Smith d . 1 August 1878 ; Sallie Locust d . 30 October 1883 ; Lou Landrum d . 29 October 1885 ; Lulu Crutchfield d . 4 March 1886 ; Philouri Scruggs ...
... November 1878 ; Eliza Mills d . August 1878 ; Jane Couch d . 18 November 1878 ; Lucinda Smith d . 1 August 1878 ; Sallie Locust d . 30 October 1883 ; Lou Landrum d . 29 October 1885 ; Lulu Crutchfield d . 4 March 1886 ; Philouri Scruggs ...
Page 164
... November 1880 , in Complied Laws of the Cherokee Nation ( Tah- lequah , Indian Territory : National Advocate Print , 1881 ) , reprinted in CLAIT , 9 : 326-27 . See also Carl T. Steen , " The Home for the Insane , Deaf , Dumb , and Blind ...
... November 1880 , in Complied Laws of the Cherokee Nation ( Tah- lequah , Indian Territory : National Advocate Print , 1881 ) , reprinted in CLAIT , 9 : 326-27 . See also Carl T. Steen , " The Home for the Insane , Deaf , Dumb , and Blind ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
1st sess 2d sess acculturated Adair American Indian ARCIA Arkansas August Bushyhead Butler C. T. Foreman Cher Cherokee Advocate Cherokee blood Cherokee Female Seminary Cherokee Indians Cherokee Nation Cherokee Rose Buds Cherokee Schools Cherokee women Chief John Ross Chronicles of Oklahoma CLAIT Cong Coppock to Benedict Dawes Roll December Education Elias Boudinot Eliza enrolled Exec federal Five Civilized Tribes Florence Wilson fullbloods girls graduated high schools ibid Indian Territory interview John Vaughan Library June L. G. Bowers L. L. Coll LGB Coll Mary Mayes McLoughlin Medical Superintendent Mission missionaries mixed-bloods Mount Holyoke College National Council Norman Northeastern State Normal Northeastern State University November October okee Okla Oklahoma Press Park Hill Principal Chief seminarians seminary alumnae seminary students seminary's September serial Starr Tahlequah teachers traditional Cherokee treaty tribal University of Oklahoma University Press William Potter Ross Worcester Wreath of Cherokee York