Molly of Denali is an animated PBS show that follows ten-year-old Molly Mabray, an Alaskan Native from the fictional village of Qyah. It aired in the summer of 2019 and won the Peabody Award in 2020. It was also the first nationally aired show to feature an Alaskan native. Right off the bat, the show encourages children to have empathy for others. In Episode 1: “Grandpa’s Drum,” television producers describe to viewers the harmful education practice of the “common boarding school” for the Native American community. As Molly’s Grandpa struggles to sing a native song, viewers learn more about “common boarding school” history. But here’s where it gets interesting. Today, the same ideological groups rightly condemning this traumatic educational practice will often argue for a modern version of “the common school.” How can that be?

The television show harkens back to an era when Native American Indians were taken from families and sent away to receive an education at boarding schools. In fact, the Molly of Denali episode is based on the real experiences of one of the show’s Native advisors. According to the non-profit, the Northern Plains Reservation Aid™ (NPRA) Program, the goal of these schools was “assimilating Indian tribes into the mainstream of the ‘American way of life.’” Reformers focused on teaching Protestant ideology, the importance of private property, material wealth and the nuclear family. Reformers believed it was necessary for Indian people to be “civilized” or required that they accept white belief systems and values. One headmaster’s motto was even famously “Kill the Indian. Save the man.”

In order to accomplish these goals, the boarding schools also erased all evidence of Native families’ cultural identity. Schools forced children to cut their braids and even take on new “white names.” Students were forbidden to use tribal language or sing tribal songs. They were not even allowed to eat traditional tribal food. Students often suffered physical abuse and malnutrition, not to mention grappling with the shame and confusion of the utter devaluing of their childhood. PBS now has resources for helping families talk about the sadness in this story and how to discuss their own family heritage. 

We, as an organization, value cultural heritage and believe empathy is important. But here’s where things get confusing. Right now, there are elite groups who claim to advocate for valuing cultural heritage in schools while also loudly arguing that assigned public schools are crucial to   creating a common civic culture as we previously discussed here. The argument often comes from elite groups who do not believe that the average parent can adequately make choices about their children’s education or moral upbringing. Instead, the state or nation “knows what’s best.” Doesn’t this just sound like we have failed to learn some important lessons from history?

These arguments center around teaching children to be “good citizens.” Isn’t it interesting that the words “civilized” and “citizen” both come from the latin word meaning citizen (civis)? The word “civilized” ultimately means to make someone refined or trained as relating to citizenship. So, how in the world can you oppose the use of school assignments for “civilizing” Native Americans while also arguing for civilizing the general population through assigned public schools?  

In the same way that we now validate the rights of those Native American parents whose children were taken from them, we must not strip parents today of the important, active role they play in their children’s moral development and education. So, don’t let public school administrators’ jargon about building citizens make you feel guilty for considering what is best for your child. We now understand that the “common school” that was imposed on Molly’s Grandpa was wrong, and it’s okay if the common public school that your child has been assigned to is not the best place for your child either.