Sandpainter (2 results)

Paperbound. Very Good +. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. 111 pages.

Condition: Very good. 10¾" x 8". Illustrated cloth over boards. Pp. [64]; 64; 72 + copy of letter on Bureau of Indian Affairs letterhead laid in. Very good or better: 1967 issue a bit shaken, cloth and pastedowns moderately stained, tiny corner crease throughout; 1968 with former owner's signature to ffep; 1970 with a few small dings to boards, faint dampstain and waviness to edges of first and last few leaves; else all internally fresh. This is a group of three lovely yearbooks of a Native American K-8 school with a heart-wrenching history, the Tuba City Boarding School (TCBS). TCBS was founded by 1900, one of many schools to remove Native children from their homes, force them to abandon their language, cultural identity and spiritual traditions. It was known for its strict military regimen, forced labor and disciplinary system; one former student noted in a newspaper interview, "If you get into trouble, you have to bend down for about one hour in a corner . . . When you get back up, you blacked out." These yearbooks are filled with fantastic photographic images, covering TCBS' first through eighth grade classes, as well as staff and teachers, many of whom were people of color. There are shots of dormitories, "classroom activities," sports teams and student groups like the "Indian Club," with members in exaggerated Native dress. Images reveal the "Chow line," "Clean up time," students at play and the homecoming dance. There are a few examples of striking Native art and a copy of a typed letter on Bureau of Indian Affairs letterhead accompanying the 1970 issue "sent to you by your sponsored child" through the Save the Children Federation. Rare yearbooks of a Native American boarding school. OCLC shows only one institution with three issues of The Sandpainter, and none of the years present here.