Indigenous Resistance and Racist Schooling on the Borders of Empires: Coast Salish Cultural Survival

Indigenous Resistance and Racist Schooling on the Borders of Empires: Coast Salish Cultural Survival by Michael Marker is about the real life struggle the Coast Salish people experience while trying to maintain their heritage and culture while resisting assimilation.  The Coast Salish people have lived in the same area, Washington and British Columbia, before the US and Canadian borders were drawn.  Therefore, they do not understand why it is wrong to travel across the border regularly because they are just going to visit a friend or relative all on their tribes land in their minds.  However, it is illegal to cross the border.  The Coast Salish children were placed into public schools that were trying to strip them of their native heritage.  However, the racism was so great they left and started attending boarding schools which also tried to assimilate them.  The children kept up with their native language and heritage through elders who would teach them.  The US and Canada should set aside land for the Coast Salish people to live their natural heritage out and have their own schools.  This land should also include some if not all of their old fishing holes.