Why were the kami important to the elderly Japanese?

They were important because they are sacred spirits which would take form of things and concepts important to life.

Explanation:

They are sacred spirits that took form of things and important concepts of life like wind, rain, trees, the river and fertility. Kami are extraordinary people, the Sun Goddess Amaterasu is known to be the most important kami in Shinto.

the government paid religious orders to provide basic education to native american children on reservations. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the bureau of indian affairs (bia) founded additional boarding schools based on the assimilation model of the off-reservation carlisle indian industrial school.

a. favoring native born americans over immigrants.