Memories of Childhood – Part I The Cutting of My Long Hair by Zitkala-Sa Class 12 English | Flamingo | Complete Structured Notes 1. Historical Background A. Historical period The story reflects the late 19th century, particularly the 1880s , when the US government promoted the assimilation of Native Americans into mainstream white American society. In 1884, when Zitkala-Sa was eight years old, she left her home on the Yankton Sioux Reservation in South Dakota to attend a boarding school in Indiana. B. Who were Native Americans? Native Americans are the Indigenous peoples of America. Their ancestors lived in America for thousands of years before European settlers arrived. They had diverse languages, traditions, spiritual beliefs, clothing, and ways of life. Zitkala-Sa belonged to the Dakota Sioux community. C. Who were White Americans? White Americans, in this ...
English Language & Literature