Tuskahoma Female Academy

Tuskahoma Female Academy (Tvska Homma Female Institute) (1892—1926), located near Tuskahoma, Oklahoma, was a boarding school for Choctaw girls aged 6—16. The post office box that was used by the Academy was located in Lyceum, Oklahoma.[1]The school was established by an act of the Choctaw Nation on December 5, 1891 and operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).[2][3] The school was organized as a response to a greater need for boarding schools at the time.[4]

School Conduct

The division of boys and girls academies in the Choctaw Nation boarding schools in part reflected the gender ideals of American motherhood as well as traditional Choctaw values as a matrilineal people.[5] In a 1910 Report of The Department of the Interior Administrative Reports, a superintendent A. G. Gladley reported that girls were instructed in household labor skills such as cooking, sewing, laundry, household maintenance, and dressmaking.[6]

The boarding school had a full scheduled regimen for their students consisting of rise and sleep times, mealtimes, school times, breaktimes as well as chapel activities. The schedules were adjusted often to reflect the ideals of the school sponsors. [7] The Tuskahoma Female Academy hosted an activity or event for their students on Saturdays that of which reflected American Culture. [7]

Timeline

The school opened in fall, 1892. Choctaw Nation General Councilor, Peter J. Hudson was its original superintendent.[8] Nellie Wakefield was the principal for the first 8 years it was in operation.[9][10] Management of the school was taken over by the United States Department of the Interior in 1903.[11] In 1920, Armstrong Academy, a historic choctaw school burned down and their students were book transferred to Tuskahoma female academy.[7] The school was closed by Cato Sells,[12] but reopened in 1923 after sitting vacant for two years.[13] The school closed in 1926, after a fire destroyed the main buildings.[11] Fires were a notable issue for Choctaw boarding schools.[4] The property was auctioned off the next year.[14] The 200 acres (81 ha) site was later purchased by Dr. Anna Lewis as a residence.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ George H. Shirk, Oklahoma Place Names, p. 130; Post Office Site Location Reports, Record Group 28, National Archives; Nomination form, National Register of Historic Places.
  2. ^ Jones, W. N. (December 5, 1819). "No. 46, An act to authorise the Board of Education to let contracts for conducting the several new Academys and naming the same" (PDF). Library of Congress.
  3. ^ "Navigating Record Group 75: BIA Schools". National Archives. 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  4. ^ a b "Choctaw Schools | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture". Oklahoma Historical Society | OHS. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  5. ^ Snyder, Christina (2017-03-22). "Enlightened nation: a look at the Choctaw education system". OUPblog. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  6. ^ Interior, United States Department of the (1910). Report of the Department of the Interior ... [with Accompanying Documents]. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 441.
  7. ^ a b c Department of the Interior. Office of Indian Affairs. Office of the Finance Officer. Statistics Section. 2/1934-1939. Tuskahoma Female Academy: 1912-20,: 1923-25; Uintah and Ouray: 1910-1927. Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Debo, Angie (1961). The Rise and Fall of the Choctaw Republic (2nd ed.). University of Oklahoma Press. p. 239.
  9. ^ "Tvshka Homma Female Institute Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  10. ^ "Tannehill, Mintie Interview". www.okgenweb.net. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  11. ^ a b "Tuskahoma Academy Destroyed by Fire Monday Afternoon". The Antlers American. Antlers, Oklahoma. 16 December 1926. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Reopen Historic Academy". Harlow's Weekly. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 10 February 1922. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Girls' School at Tuskahoma to be Opened". The Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 26 August 1923. p. 42 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Auction Sale of Tribal Property". McAlester Democrat. McAlester, Oklahoma. 17 November 1927. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "O. C. W. Teacher to Restore Landmarks". The Chickasha Star. Chickasha, Oklahoma. 1 September 1932. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.

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