The North Carolina Synod office is located on the original and ancestral homelands of the Keyauwee people, and we give thanks for their presence here since time immemorial. We also wish to recognize and honor all our indigenous siblings who have called and continue to call this land their home. |
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We are following the list of topics suggested by native leaders in the ELCA to continue our learning together. In March, we are learning about Captain Pratt's 1892 speech, which sheds light on the true meaning behind the boarding schools. We pray that you would open yourself to learning, to being transformed, and to being in deep solidarity with our indigenous siblings. |
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March Topic: Captain Pratt, "Kill the Indian. Save the Man." |
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Captain Pratt's Speech — "Kill The Indian, Save the Man."
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Pratt delivered this speech in 1892 during the National Conference of Charities and Correction, held in Denver, Colorado.
- Pratt employs "double talk." He was progressive in advocating for equality in the midst of the rise of Social Darwinism AND his measure of equality was steeped in white supremacy.
- The speech offers a very narrow definition of civilization that became the rubric for the boarding schools. In fact, he criticized early Catholic missionaries because they were not obliterating Indian culture. Without the obliteration, Pratt did not believe Indians could be civilized.
- The speech raises questions between the connections of white supremacy and economics. Having "civilized Indians" would mean more profit for the white communities.
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In his oft-referenced 1892 speech, Pratt stated, “A great general has said that the only good Indian is a dead one, and that high sanction of his destruction has been an enormous factor in promoting Indian massacres. In a sense, I agree with the sentiment, but only in this: that all the Indian there is in the race should be dead. Kill the Indian in him, and save the man.”
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Key Resource: First Light Documentary (13 Minutes)
For centuries, the United States government has taken Native American children away from their tribes, devastating parents and denying children their traditions, culture, and identity. First Light documents these practices from the 1800s to today and tells the story of an unprecedented experiment in truth-telling and healing for Wabanaki people and child welfare workers in Maine. The film allows you to see how Captain Pratt's speech continues to impact child welfare today.
A note about the Documentary: You will need to enter your email address to view the documentary. We ask you to consider compensating the creators by purchasing the video to be shared more widely than one individual.
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Theological Reflections on the Work of Captain Pratt |
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As you read and reflect on the words of Captain Pratt, we invite you to wrestle with these theological questions:
- The famous phrase from Pratt's speech is “Kill the Indian, save the man." How is this similar or different from the theological phrase, “Love the sinner, hate the sin."
- Pratt often tied the goal of boarding schools to the economic gain for White communities that "well-behaved Indians" would contribute. In what ways do you notice white supremacy and capitalism tied up together? In what ways might anti-racism work also be work for economic justice?
- Pratt believed that hard, physical labor was essential for civilizing indians and it was a key component of the boarding school design. In the Auschwitz Death Camp, a gate displays the phrase: "Work will free you." How does this ethic stand in opposition to our understanding of the gospel?
- It is clear that Pratt had a bias for what was culturally "appropriate" and "right." When we say we have a culture, what is it? What are your own biases of American culture? What biases do you hold around ELCA culture?
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When sharing his understanding of the beneficial impact of the Boarding Schools on American Indians to a convention of Baptist ministers in 1883, Pratt stated, “In Indian civilization I am a Baptist because I believe in immersing the Indians in our civilization and when we get them under, holding them there until they are thoroughly soaked.” This is one example of how theology has been co-opted to justify violence, assimilation and white supremacy. How does this harm our public witness for the gospel? What ways are we co-opting theological language for our own gain now?
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Invitation to Action: Representation & Interrupting Bias |
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Reclaiming Representations & Interrupting the Cycle of Bias Against Native Americans |
"The most widely accessible ideas and representations of Native Americans are largely negative, antiquated, and limiting. In this essay, we examine how the prevalence of such representations and a comparative lack of positive contemporary representations foster a cycle of bias that perpetuates disparities among Native Americans and other populations." |
Arizona State University's "Native 101" |
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Buzzfeed's "I'm Native, but I'm Not..." |
Breaking the Cycle of Bias
Increasing exposure to media representations that offer accurate, nuanced understandings of Native people is a great way to break the cycle of bias. These resources offer such exposure:
Project 562 aims to photograph members of all 562 federally recognized tribes.
WeRNative.org is a comprehensive health resource for Native youth, by Native youth, providing content and stories about the topics that matter most to them.
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17th Annual Southeast Indian Studies Conference
Hosted by the Department of American Indian Studies at UNC Pembroke
March 31 - April 1, 2022
Online
The purpose of the Southeast Indian Studies Conference is to provide a forum for discussion of the culture, history, art, health and contemporary issues of Native Americans in the Southeast. The conference serves as a critical venue for scholars, students and all persons interested in American Indian Studies in the region.
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Questions?
If you have questions about any of these resources, contact staff liaison for our Learning Team, Pastor Danielle DeNise.
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Click here to join the synod's monthly Indigenous Learning e-News.
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