This paper analyzes the history of Tsuishikari School in Hokkaido, which was established for the children of Sakhalin Ainu who were forcibly relocated to Hokkaido. (Tsuishikari is the place name of where Sakhalin Ainu were relocated.) The author paid attention to the following things; government attitudes regarding the forcible relocation, establishment, maintenance and administration of the school, and consciousness and attitudes toward school education of Karafuto Ainu, who were separated from previous foundations of their life, and forced to life in Hokkaido. The summary of this paper is as follows: 1 I reviewed previous studies on Tsuishikari School, and I confirmed that many theses (particularly articles before 1990's) state "Ainu did not understand significance of the education in spite of utmost protection by the administration. Therefore, the attendance at school of the Ainu children was maintained by assistance by the administration exclusively". This is the practical issue of this article. 2 I looked over the Japanese administrative measure from the forced relocation of Sakhalin Ainu to the establishment of the Tsuishikari school. When Sakhalin became the Russia territory by the
Karafuto-Chishima Exchange Treaty (1875), the Japanese Government insisted, "Sakhalin Ainu belongs to Japan" and strongly required Sakhalin Ainu to emigrate to Japan. As a result, more than 800 people (equal to about one-third of Sakhalin Ainu) were made to emigrate to Tsuishikari. However, the administrative posture was extremely strong toward the relocation but is non-premeditated about the measure for Sakhalin Ainu after the relocation. 3
Kaitakushi established a school in Tsuishikari in 1877.
Kaitakushi positioned the school as an institution for "protection" and "assimilation" and advertised "results of utmost protection for Karafuto Ainu." However, the expense to maintain this school was really based on profits by the labor of Sakhalin Ainu themselves. In 1880, about 70 children entered this school. It was a demand of the Sakhalin Ainu forced to life in Hokkaido chose forcedly, called "have to let our children receive education". On the other hand, for example, teachers were changed frequently and the management of this school was extremely unstable. This instability was an outcome of a Kaitakushi not having been eager in the maintenance of the school. 4 Because Tsuishikari was far from the shore, Sakhalin Ainu gradually moved to Atsuta and Raisatsu of the shore from about 1882 as they were not able to build the foundations of their life at Tsuishikari. Sakhalin Ainu let children go to school in Atsuta and Raisatsu, so, we understand that Sakhalin Ainu continued having a demand for education. However, the administration still insisted on letting a child enter Tsuishikari School for a while. The previous studies often state that "Ainu did not understand significance of the education in spite of utmost protection". But, such a description takes the wrong understanding of the actual situation. The Sakhalin Ainu demanded education, but the administration did not enact it.
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