For more than a century, the government of the United States waged a new kind of war against native North America. This war was different from the traditional invasions and forced relocations that had been so much a part of American policy. This was a cultural war; an effort to augment and eventually eliminate Native traditions. The chief weapon of this policy was the Indian School—a simple construct that did more harm than an entire legion of troops. The intent of these schools was to teach Christian traditions to native children. Based on the belief that Christian ideals bred civilized men, private foundations sponsored the creation of dozen of such institutions in the years following the Civil War. Federal grants assisted in the establishment of these schools until the American government began constructing its own schools in the mid-1870s.
The Rise of Carlisle
The largest of these institutions was Carlisle Indian School. Founded in 1879 by Richard Pratt, Carlisle established a unique curriculum that soon became a national standard. After conceiving his idea, Pratt immediately set to work at convincing the government to sponsor his endeavor. With the permission of the Secretary of War, Pratt was able to use an abandoned army barracks located near Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Having secured his physical plant, Pratt travelled to Dakota Territory in order to recruit a body of students from among the western tribes. His first stops were the Rosebud Sioux and Pine Ridge Sioux reservations. Meeting face to face with tribal leaders, Pratt appealed to their collective sense of duty. Many tribal leaders were reluctant, but Pratt soon won them over. Claiming to have the best interest of the tribe in mind, Pratt convinced the leaders of over a dozen western tribes that Carlisle was the best place for their children.
Pratt’s Ulterior Motive
Pratt took his newfound fame on a whirlwind tour of the nation. At every stop, he underscored the transformative powers of his special educational standards. Claiming to weep for the distress experienced by Indian tribes, Pratt advocated a new approach. While his publicly stated goal was to help native tribes attain self-sufficiency, his methodology proved inherently destructive. A clue to Pratt’s misguided approach was in preamble to his most famous speech. Standing before throngs of admirers, Pratt uttered a simple sentence that would at the same time become his mantra and a nation’s source of shame. When referencing the desire to rid the nation of hostile Indian groups, Pratt argued the best policy would be to “kill the Indian…save the man”.
Rules of Assimilation
While not every Indian School had deleterious impact on its pupils, the majority did more harm than good. The standard of education established by Carlisle was utilized by dozens of other such schools. With such uniformity, it is easy to see how a national standard can give way to abuse. It would be nearly one hundred years before the true damage caused by these schools would be revealed.
Sources:
Lars Anderson, Carlisle vs. Army: Jim Thorpe, Dwight Eisenhower, Pop Warner, and the Forgotten Story of Football’s Greatest Battle. (New York; Random House, 2007).
Mark C. Carnes, Ed., U.S. History. (New York: Macmillan Library Reference, 1996).
Peter Matthiessen, Ed., George Catlin: North American Indians. (New York: Penguin Books, 1989).
Carl Waldman, The North American Indian. (New York: Checkmark Books, 2000.)
Carl Waldman, Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes. (New York: Checkmark Books, 2006).
