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Football at Carlisle Indian School: A Tool for Assimilation?
Field Trips

Carlisle Guided Tours
Carlisle, PA 17013
(717) 249-2926

This tour group offers tours of historic Carlisle. Among their offerings is a guided tour of remaining buildings of the Carlisle Indian School located on the Carlisle Barracks, home of the U.S. Army War College.

Carlisle Indian School Grounds
U.S. Army War College
Carlisle, PA 17013

The Carlisle Indian School closed in 1918, however several buildings of the old Indian School are still standing and used by the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. There is a self-guided walking map available which highlights the remaining school buildings. For this map see the "Map" link on the left side of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School Research Page at http://home.epix.net/~landis/.

Cumberland County Historical Society
21 North Pitt Street
Carlisle, PA 17013
717-249-7610

To learn more about the Carlisle Indian Industrial School and its goals of assimilation consider a field trip organized by the Cumberland County Historical Society. The Cumberland County Historical Society offers as part of its educational program, a Carlisle Indian Industrial School Trunk filled with comparative material artifacts of Native American and middle-class Caucasians: clothing, school supplies, games, tools, and religious icons. According to the program description, "students will scrutinize the intense nature of organized assimilation and adaptation and learn how the Indian school was reflective of national educational policies at the turn of the century." In addition, the Historical Society offers coordination of day-long programs, one which explores the Carlisle Industrial School through images and includes individual name tags of actual CIIS students with biographical information on it.

Jim Thorpe's Grave
Route 903
Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
(570) 325 - 3673

Jim Thorpe is buried in a marble tomb and monument just outside of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. This would be an excellent site for a small, self-led field trip. Students can view the actual gravestone upon which images of his athletic career are etched. In addition, the quote from King Gustav V is inscribed: "Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world." The tomb is said to rest on soil taken from both Thorpe's home in Oklahoma as well as Stockholm where he performed his amazing Olympic feats. Near the tomb is a sculpture called "The Spirit of Thunder and Lightning" with informative panels of Thorpe's life.

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