---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was like a complicit - there was…"
description: "\"It was like a complicit - there was complicity between the churches and the state in taking care of the 'Indian problem,' solving the 'Indian problem,'..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/dennis-banks-22582_change_it-was-like-a-complicit-there-was-compli_726952.jpg"
---

#  It was like a complicit - there was complicity between the…

![“It was like a complicit - there was complicity between the churches and the state in taking care of the 'Indian problem,' solving the 'Indian problem,' and trying to change who we were.” quote by Dennis Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/dennis-banks-22582_change_it-was-like-a-complicit-there-was-compli_726952.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/dennis-banks-22582_change_it-was-like-a-complicit-there-was-compli_726952.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/dennis-banks-22582_change_it-was-like-a-complicit-there-was-compli_726952.jpg)

> “It was like a complicit - there was complicity between the churches and the state in taking care of the 'Indian problem,' solving the 'Indian problem,' and trying to change who we were.”

[Dennis Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-banks/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Banks describes a collusion between churches and the state that perpetuated the “Indian problem” by imposing cultural change and control.

**In simple terms:** Institutions worked together to suppress Native identity.

Key Takeaway

Support Indigenous autonomy and cultural preservation.

Themes

colonialism cultural oppression collaboration identity resistance

Mood

somber determined

Type

historical activist

When to use this quote

- education policy
- religious influence
- government legislation
- community activism
- reparations

Key Concepts

postcolonial theory power dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- What steps can restore Indigenous self-determination?
- How can societies dismantle lingering collusion?

A Different Perspective

The statement may simplify complex historical interactions.

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[Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Complicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicity/) [Indian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indian/) [Problem solving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-solving/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Trying to change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-to-change/)

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