Why Did Pratt Oppose Reservations? How Would Schools Achieve ✓ Solved

Why did Pratt oppose reservations? How would schools achieve

1. Why did Pratt oppose reservations? How would schools achieve Pratt’s goal to “Kill the Indian . . . and save the man”? 2. What did Pratt mean by asserting that “our greatest mistake [is] in feeding our civilization to the Indians instead of feeding the Indians to our civilization”? Did he consider education or Christianity mistakes for Indians? Why or why not? 3. What lessons did Pratt draw from the experiences of African Americans? Did he believe they represented a success story for his goal of “citizenizing”?

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Carlos Montezuma noted that the Indian School System's core ideology was predicated on the assimilation of Native Americans into Euro-American culture. One prominent figure in this movement was Richard Henry Pratt, a military officer and founder of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Pratt's perspective on Native Americans, particularly his opposition to reservations, stemmed from a belief that such policies hindered the assimilation process. Pratt famously stated that his aim was to “kill the Indian, and save the man,” suggesting that he viewed Native American identity as an obstacle to success within American society.

Pratt opposed reservations because he believed they perpetuated a sense of isolation and dependency among Native Americans. He argued that creating a physical separation between Native Americans and white Americans would prevent assimilation into mainstream society. In his view, reservations were merely a form of imprisonment that did not provide Native Americans with the opportunities for advancement that education and integration could offer. By removing Indigenous people from reservations and providing education, Pratt felt that schools could achieve his goal of assimilation, thereby allowing Native Americans to become productive citizens.

Pratt's proposal involved not just education but a complete recalibration of identity for Native Americans. He considered the infusion of Euro-American cultural values as essential for the transformation of Native Americans into citizens in their schools. Specifically, Pratt believed that it was crucial to introduce Native Americans to American civilization, a process he felt should be prioritized over attempting to adapt American civilization to accommodate Indigenous practices and beliefs.

Pratt's statement regarding “feeding our civilization” to the Indians encapsulates his belief that Indigenous peoples should not be preserved in their original cultural state. Instead, he chastised policies that sought to maintain reservation lifestyles that he believed were inherently inferior. Pratt’s ideology dismissed the value of Indigenous culture, viewing it as a barrier rather than something worthy of respect or preservation.

Pratt's thoughts on education and Christianity showcase his conflicting views. He saw education primarily as a tool for assimilation; however, he did not consider it a mistake in itself. On the contrary, he believed that education was necessary to facilitate the transition of Native Americans into “civilized” lives. As for Christianity, Pratt did not view it as a mistake but rather as an essential component of the civilizing mission. He believed conversion to Christianity was vital for the moral and ethical development of Native Americans, further enhancing their assimilation into American society.

Another central aspect of Pratt’s philosophy was drawn from his observations of African Americans’ post-Civil War experiences. He saw their progress after emancipation as a template for what could happen if Native Americans were similarly afforded opportunities for schooling and integration. Pratt argued that African Americans had demonstrated that, with proper education and societal acceptance, formerly enslaved individuals could thrive, thus inspiring his belief that “citizenizing” Native Americans would yield a similar success story.

In conclusion, Pratt’s opposition to reservations was rooted in his conviction that they stymied assimilation, a process he considered crucial for the survival and prosperity of Native Americans. His framework emphasized education and Christianity as tools for making Indians into “American” citizens, rather than viewing their original cultures as valuable. Pratt believed that the experiences of African Americans proved the efficacy of education and integration, serving as a crucial lesson for how Native Americans could similarly navigate their paths to citizenship.

References

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• Pratt, Richard Henry. (2003). “The Advantages of the System of Education in the United States.” In In the Middle of the Road, 101-110. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.