The YMCA at Dickinson College and the Carlisle Indian School
Among the various methods used to convert Indians into civilized white citizens at the Carlisle Indian School (CIS) was “Christianizing” the Indian students by instilling traditional Christian values into all students in the program. A good deal of the student’s religious training was spent attempting to give the students an understanding of the Bible’s stories and messages and to emphasize the value of virtue to the students. Many students seemingly took these messages and values to heart and changed their lives to embrace these ideals. The Young Men's Christian Association at the CIS played an active role in helping to instill the these Christian ideals into CIS students. In order to accomplish the goal of Christianizing the students, the CIS YMCA often worked with the Dickinson College YMCA to introduce Christian morality and beliefs into the lives of its members and to help the CIS students gain an understanding of what exactly was "white society."
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