Rochelle LaTouche

Dartmouth: Past and Present Native Americans

            Dartmouth was one of the first major colleges to occupy the colonial states of America. Until recently, I was unsure about the original intent of the college, which I discovered was to educate Native Americans in Christianity and European practices. This notion surprised me, and I wanted to know more about the origins of Dartmouth College, such as: Who created it? What did they hope to accomplish? What is the college’s involvement with the Native Americans today? Such questions ignited an investigation about the current Ivy League School.  

            The “Indian-Charity School,” now known as Dartmouth, was founded by the American Congregational minister Eleazor Wheelock. His intentions with the Native Americans and hopes for their future are questioned until this day. Dartmouth professor and author, Colin Calloway, claims that some believe Wheelock’s “prescription for the education and salvation of Native Americans was predicated on the unquestioned superiority of his own culture and the eradication of theirs” (1). Calloway claims that this is a more modern notion though, and people who actually knew Wheelock “described him as a ‘great and good man’ who was selfless in his efforts to bring civilization and Christianity to the Indians he held in his paternal care” (1). These were others’ opinions on him, but Wheelock himself believed he was doing God’s work. He wrote in a letter to Reverend Whitefield, “ ‘I have for many years past, had my tho’ts much on the piteous state of the Indian Natives of this Continent who have been perishing in vast numbers from Age to Age for lack of vision” (Calloway1). He felt that the Native American’s souls were doomed without knowing the “only true God” (Calloway 2).

Because of Wheelock’s feelings about the dreadful fate of the Native Americans, he developed the Great Design in order to save them. The Great Design entailed “[taking] their [the Indian’s] children (two or more of a tribe, that they may not lose their own Language) and give them an education among ourselves, under the Tuition, & Guidance of a godly, & skillful master; where they may make them scholars… and Christians indeed, to fit them for the Gospel Ministry among their respective Tribes” (Calloway 3). Wheelock also felt that educating the Native Americans would be beneficial because Indians would be less likely to go at war with people who are educating their children (aka the colonists).

One might wonder how Wheelock was able to carry his plan out. How did he obtain the money for the schooling? Initially, he incorporated the services of the Native American, Samson Occom. Occum was born into the Mohegan tribe, but Missionaries who infringed upon his tribe inspired him to convert to Christianity. He eventually became a preacher himself, as well as a scholar. The website Dartmouth.edu claims that “In 1766, [Occum] and fellow minister Nathaniel Whitaker traveled to England to raise money for Wheelock's Indian Charity School. When Wheelock instead used these funds to found Dartmouth College, Occom was deeply offended by what he saw as a misuse of the money he had raised, and in 1773, he and Wheelock had a falling out.” Occum played a detrimental part in funding Dartmouth although he was not aware that was what he was doing at the time. Occum’s name is found all over the campus, such as “Occum Commons” although Occum never actually saw or visited Dartmouth.

Given the Native American influence and heritage of the school, how are the Native Americans treated at the school now? For years, the Native Americans did not have special privileges and were forgotten as the initial inspiration for the school. Dartmouth.edu claims that “During the first 200 years of its existence Dartmouth fell far short of its educational goal and a mere 19 Native Americans graduated from the College. This situation changed dramatically when John G. Kemeny became the 13th president of Dartmouth College in 1970. He pledged to redress the historical lack of opportunities for Native Americans in higher education.” So, it was not until the 1970’s when they were culturally recognized at the school again.  The school now has a Native American Program and has had over 700 Native Americans graduates from the school, which is more than any other Ivy League College. One of the most well-known Native American graduates from Dartmouth is author Louise Erdrich. She had the honors of presenting a speech to the graduating class of 2006 in which she stated, “I am a member of the class of 1976, the first class that included women, the first class in the newly recommitted Native American Program…” Dartmouth now is trying to encourage Native Americans to attend their college and to appreciate their culture. It may have taken years for them to create this cultural embracement, but they are heading in a good direction.

From my research, I learned that only Wheelock truly knows why he started the college. He claimed it was to save the Native American’s souls, but there were also other alleged reasons. I also was enlightened to the fact that Occum was betrayed by his former mentor Wheelock. I had read Occum’s letters and knew that he felt unappreciated, but I was not sure about the specifics. Obviously, part of the reason was that Wheelock spent money on Dartmouth instead of the other school for which Occum was raising money. Lastly, I learned that Native Americans more and more are attending the college, and now it is not necessarily to be Christianized. Overall, there was a lot of betrayal, yet good outcomes that went into the creation of Dartmouth. 

Sources:

Dartmouth.edu (two different sections)- Dartmouth library and Dartmouth homepage

Louise Erdrich’s speech (youtube)

Colin Calloway’s The Indian History of an American Institution: Native Americans and Dartmouth (through ebooks)