Richard Pratt: Kill the Indian… and save the man
In 1887 the federal government launched boarding schools designed to remove young Indians from their homes and families in reservations and Richard Pratt –the leader of Carlisle Indian School –declared, “citizenize” them. Richard Pratt’s “Kill the Indian… and save the man” was a speech to a group of reformers in 1892 describing the vices of reservations and the virtues of schooling that would bring young Native Americans into the mainstream of American society.
As I read through the excerpt Richard Pratt states that we as Americans “have not yet learned our lesson.” After many years of oppressing the black man, mistreating them, beating them, seeing the black race as something less of a human being, was highly hypocritical coming from Americans whom wrote in the doctrine of our Declaration that “ all men are created free and equal” and of the clause in our Constitution that forbade “any abridgment on the right of citizens on account of race, color, or previous condition.” African Americans were not offered schooling programs; they were separated from their family, sold to work as a slave for the
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His logos were, for one, very convincing. When he spoke of the African Americans ability to endure civil customs even when they were invisible to society became a perfect example of his following prospect on the Native Americans and his disapproval on the reservations, and his usage of pathos also played a key role in convincing us to give the Natives a shot at being one with the nation. Especially when he speaks directly to the audience and asks, “Why not try the Indians? Why not invite them into experiences in our communities? Why always invite and compel them to remain a people unto themselves?” If there were no reformers like Richard Pratt I believe that the Native Americans would be no more than the dirt we step on
Mullings also points out that America is a very profit orientated nation. African Americans were socially devalued as well as women of that time. African American women were forced into
Throughout the 1925-1975 period, the Native American population of the United States has faced many obstacles. Just a few years before, they had been suppressed by the federal government’s “Anti-Long Hair” policy for all Native American males. This would set the stage for future cultural restraint on the Indians. However, they continued to fight for equality. All through this time period, the experience of the Native American culture has been a struggle for equality in their homeland.
Pratt in the late 1800’s. Americans felt it was important to influence on Native Americans traditional white, Christian values. This was also important in Arizona, and it led to the opening of The Phoenix Indian School. Americans felt Native Americans were “a cruel lot of savages...for horrible butcheries of white settlers and unspeakable barbarities upon their enemies.” This was the image Native Americans were given in the 19th and in part of the 20th century, and it was a big part of the reason why assimilation was put into practice in Arizona. Americans wanted Indians to live as they did, and the only way to do this was through forced assimilation. To do this, Americans took many Native American children forcibly from their families and villages on their reservations and took them to off reservation boarding schools located in the midst of big white cities. In Arizona, this was especially enforced by the military and by the police. The first round of students taken by the Arizona police were largely from different tribes, as the white Americans felt that this was necessary to further the process of assimilation and to help the Native Americans live successfully in modern American society. The tribes had been confined to their reservations for decades and lived by separate traditions, ways, and beliefs and that would therefore make being
In this article, Locke is trying to stress that we as Americans need to mature mentally to the point where can see the "Negro" as being culturally distinct and having its idiosyncrasies, but also a part of the American whole. He is not saying that we should realize our differences, but we should not let them separate us. Locke's argument is very insightful as he correctly identifies common stereotypes that exist in the American society. However, as previously stated, Locke's argument is problematic in the fact that it is incomplete. His argument does not explain the usefulness of the argument he goes to such great lengths to prove. Locke's arguments may be conservative in nature; however, he still presents many valid points that still apply to contemporary American society.
In the 1870s, the U.S. government enacted a policy of assimilation of Native Americans, to Americanize them. Their goal was to turn them into white men. Schools were an important part of facilitating their goal. In 1879, Richard Henry Pratt founded the Carlisle Indian School. It was the first school in which Native American children were culturally exposed to American ideology. The idea for the boarding school first came through treatment of Cheyenne warriors. In the 1860s, Americans were in the midst of a major western migration. Settlers were moving into the western region, pushing natives off lands, and in some cases, killing livestock. Warriors then took revenge on settlers and soldiers. General Sherman called for “the extermination of the natives.” Groups of warriors were captured, arrested, and charged without a trial.
In the late 1800s, the United States proposed an educational experiment that the government hoped would change the traditions and customs of Native Americans. Special schools were created all over the United States with the intention of "civilizing" Native youth. This paper will explore the history and conditions of Native American boarding schools and why they were ultimately unsuccessful.
Talking Back to Civilization: Indian Voices from the Progressive Era edited by Frederick E. Hoxie is a book which begins with an introduction into the life of Charles Eastman and a brief overview of the history of Native Americans and their fight for justice and equal rights, it then continues by describing the different ways and avenues of speaking for Indian rights and what the activists did. This leads logically into the primary sources which “talk back” to the society which had overrun their own. The primary sources immerse the reader into another way of thinking and cause them to realize what our societal growth and even foundation has caused to those who were the true natives. The primary sources also expand on the main themes of the book which are outlines in the introduction. They are first and most importantly talking back to the “pale faces”, Indian education, religion, American Indian policy, the image of the Indians presented in America. The other chapters in the book further expanded on these ideas. These themes will be further discussed in the following chapters along with a review of this
Along with his arguments of mental inferiority, Jefferson argues that blacks concede their inferiority through their submissiveness to the slave owners. This argument is met by Walkers’ appeal to the people for action. He states that, “unless we try to refute Mr. Jefferson’s arguments respecting us, we will only establish them” (Walker 18). It is an urgent call for action that urges not only blacks but other abolitionist, to stand up and fight against the stereotypes. He calls for black people to stop being submissive and to stand up for their rights. He also calls on blacks to not allow their oppression to hinder them from attaining as much knowledge as is reachable given their circumstances. He uses Jefferson’s demeaning statements to incite black people to rise up against the injustices being done to them. Through his derogatory statements towards black people, Jefferson, the champion of equality, is inadvertently giving Walker a means to inflame the fight in black people.
The history of Indian Child Welfare Act derived from the need to address the problems with the removal of Indian children from their communities. Native American tribes identified the problem of Native American children being raised by non-native families when there were alarming numbers of children being removed from their h...
Sandefur, G. (n.d.). American Indian reservations: The first underclass areas? Retrieved April 28, 2014, from http://www.irp.wisc.edu/publications/focus/pdfs/foc121f.pdf
of Native American Culture as a Means of Reform,” American Indian Quarterly 26, no. 1
Although Baldwin’s letter was addressed to his nephew, he intended for society as a whole to be affected by it. “This innocent country set you down in a getto in which, in fact, it intended that you should parish”(Baldwin 244). This is an innocent country, innocent only because they know not what they do. They discriminate the African American by expecting them to be worthless, by not giving them a chance to prove their credibility. Today African Americans are considered to be disesteemed in society. They are placed in this class before they are even born just like Royalty obtains their class before they are even conceived. We may think that this is a paradox but when d...
Although the work is 40 years old, “Custer Died for Your Sins” is still relevant and valuable in explaining the history and problems that Indians face in the United States. Deloria’s book reveals the White view of Indians as false compared to the reality of how Indians are in real life. The forceful intrusion of the U.S. Government and Christian missionaries have had the most oppressing and damaging affect on Indians. There is hope in Delorias words though. He believes that as more tribes become more politically active and capable, they will be able to become more economically independent for future generations. He feels much hope in the 1960’s generation of college age Indians returning to take ownership of their tribes problems and build a better future for their children.
The Native Americans after the Civil War faced the problems of being kicked out of their land having to assimilate into the American culture. The Native Americans were seen as “savages” because of that the American government wanted to civilize them. The government set up schools in the 1860s for Indian children to attend. The goal was for the children “to civilize their parents, as well, by sharing what they were learning” however, this ultimately failed.
The government tried to send the Native Americans to boarding school. Attending boarding school was supposed to convert Native Americans to the way of life that the white society lived. The government wanted Native Americans to stop associating themselves with tribes and start thinking of themselves as normal white citizens. Sending Native Americans to boarding school was supposed to “kill the Indian, and save the man” (475). These boarding schools compare to the ones that slaves were sent to once they were emancipated. The idea of boarding schools backfired because Native Americans would form bounds with other Native Americans. The government also tried to split up Native American’s reservations. This was supposed to end the association of tribes and separate the groups of Native Americans. The government was trying to change the culture of Native Americans and make them convert to the white society ways of