Post by Okwes on Aug 6, 2006 18:44:45 GMT -5
Indian Placement Program topic of former reporter's novelBy Lacey J.
Manning - 28 Jul 2006
www.newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/60526
<http://www.newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/60526>
Arianne Cope Former Daily Universe reporter, Arianne Baadsgaard Cope,
recently won the Marilyn Brown Novel Award for her book, "The Coming of
Elijah," which focuses on the Indian Placement Program. The Marilyn
Brown Novel Award, which includes a $1,000 cash prize, is given
biennially to the best entry for an unpublished novel. Cope's novel,
this year's winner, addresses the placement program developed by The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1947, which lasted until
the late 1990s. Parables Publishing will release the fictional book
about the real program on Aug. 14. In the program, thousands of
American Indian children living on reservations voluntarily moved in
with LDS families to be immersed in the Mormon culture and receive a
public school education. Many of the children escaped bad living
conditions and poor family lives, Cope said. In the 1970s, critics of
the program complained to the United States government who investigated
accusations that the LDS church was forcing its beliefs on others by
bringing children into the placement program. "They [host families]
want you to be like them: white and Mormon," said Lisa Ellis, who was a
fourth grade student when she was in the program in California. Despite
accusations and some participants' feelings, the government decided the
church was not guilty of forcing its beliefs on others. Even though
things didn't go as smoothly as hoped, "I think the church had effective
intentions with the program," Cope said. Further controversy evolved in
the '70s over whether or not the children involved in the placement
program were losing their American Indian heritage. "I didn't see any
benefits to trying to change someone," Ellis said. "By taking away their
culture you take away who they are." The children in the program
usually experienced one of two extremes: Either the child adopted LDS
traditions and forgot their American Indian heritage, or the child clung
to their American Indian roots and rejected LDS customs, Cope said. In
her book, Cope suggests through her main character, Mary, that a child
doesn't have to decide between the two cultures, he or she can have
both. "People can keep their cultural identity and still be a member of
the gospel," Cope said. Although negatives resulted from the program,
there were positive aspects as well. "Progress was made to fulfill the
responsibility of the church to further the Lamanite destiny as spelled
out in the Book of Mormon," said Lynette Riggs, a doctoral student at
Utah State University doing her dissertation on the placement program.
Church members who acted as hosts learned charity and service, Riggs
said. Carole Warburton, who acted as a host mother during 1991 and 1992
said having a foster daughter through the placement program was a great
experience. "We still stay in touch with her," Warburton said. "[We]
attended her wedding, and she has brought her family to our house a
couple of times." The program ended in the late 1990s after almost 50
years. "I think one of the biggest factors as to why the program phased
out was the increasing quality of education available to Native
Americans on their reservations," Cope said.
Manning - 28 Jul 2006
www.newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/60526
<http://www.newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/60526>
Arianne Cope Former Daily Universe reporter, Arianne Baadsgaard Cope,
recently won the Marilyn Brown Novel Award for her book, "The Coming of
Elijah," which focuses on the Indian Placement Program. The Marilyn
Brown Novel Award, which includes a $1,000 cash prize, is given
biennially to the best entry for an unpublished novel. Cope's novel,
this year's winner, addresses the placement program developed by The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1947, which lasted until
the late 1990s. Parables Publishing will release the fictional book
about the real program on Aug. 14. In the program, thousands of
American Indian children living on reservations voluntarily moved in
with LDS families to be immersed in the Mormon culture and receive a
public school education. Many of the children escaped bad living
conditions and poor family lives, Cope said. In the 1970s, critics of
the program complained to the United States government who investigated
accusations that the LDS church was forcing its beliefs on others by
bringing children into the placement program. "They [host families]
want you to be like them: white and Mormon," said Lisa Ellis, who was a
fourth grade student when she was in the program in California. Despite
accusations and some participants' feelings, the government decided the
church was not guilty of forcing its beliefs on others. Even though
things didn't go as smoothly as hoped, "I think the church had effective
intentions with the program," Cope said. Further controversy evolved in
the '70s over whether or not the children involved in the placement
program were losing their American Indian heritage. "I didn't see any
benefits to trying to change someone," Ellis said. "By taking away their
culture you take away who they are." The children in the program
usually experienced one of two extremes: Either the child adopted LDS
traditions and forgot their American Indian heritage, or the child clung
to their American Indian roots and rejected LDS customs, Cope said. In
her book, Cope suggests through her main character, Mary, that a child
doesn't have to decide between the two cultures, he or she can have
both. "People can keep their cultural identity and still be a member of
the gospel," Cope said. Although negatives resulted from the program,
there were positive aspects as well. "Progress was made to fulfill the
responsibility of the church to further the Lamanite destiny as spelled
out in the Book of Mormon," said Lynette Riggs, a doctoral student at
Utah State University doing her dissertation on the placement program.
Church members who acted as hosts learned charity and service, Riggs
said. Carole Warburton, who acted as a host mother during 1991 and 1992
said having a foster daughter through the placement program was a great
experience. "We still stay in touch with her," Warburton said. "[We]
attended her wedding, and she has brought her family to our house a
couple of times." The program ended in the late 1990s after almost 50
years. "I think one of the biggest factors as to why the program phased
out was the increasing quality of education available to Native
Americans on their reservations," Cope said.