What does the term assimilation refer to in the context of American Indian policies?

The term assimilation in the context of American Indian policies refers to the process of absorbing one cultural group into another, specifically the effort to integrate Native Americans into European-American culture. This often involved undermining or eradicating indigenous cultural practices, languages, and identities in favor of adopting the customs, social structures, and beliefs of the dominant society.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, U.S. government policies were heavily focused on assimilating Native Americans. For example, boarding schools were established where Native American children were taken from their families and communities, forced to abandon their languages and cultural practices, and educated in the European-American manner. The idea was to 'Americanize' Native peoples, making them adopt Western lifestyles and beliefs, ultimately aiming to extinguish their distinct cultural identities.

The other options highlight concepts that diverge from the core meaning of assimilation. Resistance to cultural integration goes against the very notion of assimilation, which seeks to eliminate such resistance. The preservation of original cultural practices directly contrasts with assimilation's objective of cultural absorption. Lastly, the promotion of multiculturalism emphasizes the coexistence and appreciation of multiple cultures rather than the absorption of one into another, which is antithetical to the concept of assimilation as defined in this historical context