Final answer:
Amiskwaciy Academy stands out from other urban-based schools for its focus on Aboriginal values and traditions in education, differing greatly from the historical boarding schools that aimed to assimilate Indigenous children into European culture.
Step-by-step explanation:
Amiskwaciy Academy is unique among urban-based schools because it embraces an educational framework rooted in Aboriginal values and traditions. Instead of adopting a Eurocentric lens, Aboriginal perspectives inform the teaching and discussions of art and other subject matter. This represents a profound decentering from traditional Western educational standards that historically emphasized assimilation and acculturation in boarding schools. These earlier institutions, which were established by federal authorities, focused on immersing Indigenous children in European culture, disciplines, and work ethics, often at the cost of their own languages, traditions, and values.
Amiskwaciy Academy's approach incorporates interdisciplinary methods that include connections to traditional ways, adaptations due to colonial impact, and recent developments within Aboriginal societies. This reflects a significant departure from the experiences at historical boarding schools like the Phoenix Indian School or Sherman Institute, where Native children were forced to abandon their cultures. At those schools, a standing army of schoolteachers emphasized industrial training and Protestant work ethics, forgoing the native languages and practices in favor of English and manual labor skills.