The 1800s demonstrated a period of change and adaptability for Native Americans when the federal government put forth an effort to educate Indian children in American culture by providing them with the tools to be “competitive” in American society. Although the positive opportunities presented by the boarding schools were immense, the slow diminishment of the Chickasaw language soon became apparent. Today, the Chickasaw Nation is working diligently to educate new generations in the language and heritage that was once forgotten.