Comments on: Mt. Pleasant's Unpleasant School

By: Ed McDaniel

Ed McDaniel — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:12:53 +0000

I too live in Mt. Pleasant and though i have no real reasoning, i would like to share my concern for the cause. I am a caucasian male, however, in the last year i have become quite interested in the wisdom, majesty, and humbleness of many past Native Americans. I am attempting to recover documentation that could help me map out my ansestry, so that i may generate a ruff estimate of my native heritage. It is scenarios such as this that complicate efforts of people like myself. If there is any way that i could support the preservation of these native buildings and their truthful history i would be much abliged. sincerely Ed McDaniel Oasis High school Mt Pleasant MI bitchesnblunts69@yahoo.com

By: Wally Marcou

Wally Marcou — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 04:57:33 +0000

I'm trying to find out if someone would know how I could get a list of the names of the female students that went to this school abt. 1900 c. What I do know about her is very skerchy at best. I know that her name was Rose or Rosie Bell(e) and she worked at a neighbors farm during the summer months. The family finally adopted my G.Mother and from what I understand the records were destroyed. The name of the family was "Maggo" If anyone has any information about her or can help me in anyway I would be in your debt. Please e-mail me at my address with Rose Belle in the subject line.
Thank You!!

By: Amber Martin

Amber Martin — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:14:54 +0000

My name is Amber Martin, and I attend CMU in Mount Pleasant. I am currently researching the history of the old Indian Boarding School for an article in an online magazine, and I wish to get personal testimonies from either people who attended the school, or their direct relatives. Please, if anyone knows anything, let me know. Email me with any questions, comments, or testimonies that you may have at marti7am@cmich.edu . Thank you so much for all of your help!

By: Karyn Kromer

Karyn Kromer — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:31:44 +0000

To anyone interested. I am currently attempting to preserve the Native history of these buildings. I am eager to obtain first hand accounts of those who attended this school in hopes to complete my research. I feel it is crucial to preserve the history of the Native people in full truth. It is my feeling that if these buildings are destroyed, this will only be yet another part of Native history that will be swept under rug. I am tired of the constant preservation and the idealistic views of mainstream White historians who neglect to include accurate accounts of Native history within our Country. I am seeking grants and funding that would allow these buildings to stand and allow those who visit to become aware of their historical importance in everyones history. Please contact me if you have questions or would like to be included in this study. kromerk@student.gvsu.edu

By: Christie Guernsey

Christie Guernsey — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 02:01:36 +0000

I work at the Mt. Pleasant Center, which used to be the indian school. I know very little about the history of this place and would like to. I have never saw inside the old buildings and would love to walk through them. I wonder thugh how you got in them since they are locked. Email me back.
Christie Guernsey

By: marylin dorsey

marylin dorsey — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:44:44 +0000

thanks for writing back! i would love to hear of other former students at this school...your mom sounds like her experience was good. however, my aunt and mom were not well treated and in fact, were beaten at this school. even now, they cannot hardly talk about it. please post here, or email me at mcdmomforpeace@yahoo.com also, they were not offical members of the tribe, as far as i can tell. however, they are Chippewa. how can the tribe not recognize their lives?
thanks, marylin*

By: farlane

farlane — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 16:02:09 +0000

Marilyn: The article appeared in Michigan History Magazine and it's the sum total of my knowledge of the school!

Art: I think that your comment demonstrates a neat thing about the web. It allows folks with divergent viewpoints of the same thing to share them. Thank you for posting your mother's experiences.

By: Art

Art — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 07:04:26 +0000

My mother was a student at Mt. Pleasant Indian School around 1930. She remembered it as a place where, among other things, she could get three meals a day, medical and dental care, a safe place to sleep, none of which was available at her home. Another of the children from her home village was still there in 1933 when the school closed, and she did not want to leave, she told me so a few years ago. The National Archives in Chicago has a collection of records and correspondence to & from families and students at the school. I have personally read some of the letters from Indian children expressing their eagerness to go to Mt. Pleasant. Some of the letters describe the prejudice and discrimination these children received at their local schools (paid for by their parent's tax dollars). Yes, some of the students ran away from the school. The National Archives has a document describing what happened to two boys who were completing their course of study at Mt. Pleasant. They wanted to be admitted to another school out west where they could have vocational training. They were refused admission due to budget cuts. These two boys ran away from Mt. Pleasant, got on a train going west, and presented themselves at the other school, where they were admitted after all. Yes, those Indian schools were really terrible. The description posted here is very one-sided, very politically correct.

By: marylin dorsey

marylin dorsey — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 01:17:12 +0000

my mom says she was a student at this school............
i hate how she lived.....understand how she is now, can you give me more info?
thanks!
marylin*