By Jacob Koch
The idea of a higher education in your adult years has been integral to our society for the longest time. And we Americans are fortunate enough to have access to a plethora of institutions—some of the best in the world, assuming you can get into them. It was interesting to me, then, to find out that two of our most prestigious colleges, Harvard and Dartmouth, were not founded with the goal of educating white colonials, but rather, Native Americans. Indeed, the Dartmouth college seal itself has images of Native Americans reading beneath pine trees. This led me to ask myself the questions, “How has this not been made common knowledge? And why not?”
This led me to the Occom Circle Project, an online database that describes itself as a “scholarly digital edition of handwritten documents by and about Samson Occom housed in Dartmouth College.” Samson Occom (1723-1792) was one of the founders of Dartmouth College, and an advocate for creating the school in hopes of educating Native Americans. The documents preserved in the Occom Circle also include information and letters on Eleazar Wheelock (1711-1779), mentor to Occom and the primary person credited with founding Dartmouth. These two men, although in agreement when they started the Dartmouth project together, would have different visions of the project’s goal, and this would ultimately lead to a tumultuous relationship, cause the college’s goal to turn away from educating Native Americans, and shape the college’s place in academia in the future.
Eleazar Wheelock’s decision to change the purpose of Dartmouth College from being a school with the goal of educating Native Americans to a predominately white European school undoubtedly caused the falling out between him and Occom, Christian preacher from the Mohegan nation and Native American missionary. While Wheelock is considered the founder of Dartmouth, Occom, a former student of Wheelock, served as a large proponent in the formation of the school with its original vision in mind. Here, we look at Wheelock’s deeper reasoning behind his decision, the argument over whether Dartmouth was rightfully created a white college or not, and what this all means for the idea of repatriation.
In a letter from Samson Occom to Eleazar Wheelock (July 24,1771), we see that Occom was at least under the impression that Dartmouth was originally going to be created to be primarily an institute for higher education of Native peoples. Occom writes, “Your having So many white Scholars and So few or no Indian Scholars, gives me great Discouragement…”
Although much disdain is expressed, where does Occom gain his assertion to condemn Wheelock’s decision? We can see in the very same letter the supporting evidence that this was a joint venture between the two of them, where Occom traveled to overseas to raise money and support for the project. He continues,
I verily thought once that your Institution was Intended purely for the poor Indians with this thought I cheerfully Ventur’d my body & Soul, left my Country my poor Young Family all my Friends and Relations, to sail over the Boisterous Seas to England, to help forward your School, Hoping that it may be a lasting Benefet to my poor Tawnee Brethren, with this View I went a Volunteer…We Loudly Proclaimed before the Multitudes of People from Place to Place, that there was a most glorious Prospect of Spreading the gospel of the Lord Jesus to the furtherest Savage Nations in the Wilderness, thro’ your Institution…
It becomes strikingly clear, through this letter, what the original aims of the Dartmouth project were and Occom’s contribution to the cause. One could argue, in fact, that without Occom, or the people of the Native nations for that matter, Dartmouth would not have come into existence.
Samson Occom
Yet, dartmouth.edu recognizes Wheelock as its sole founder. Where did the missing accreditation go?
Furthermore, how far back do Wheelock’s plans go? Why did he make this decision? One Occom Circle source raises possible answers., In an earlier letter On the topic of teaching Native Americans (July 5, 1761) from Wheelock to George Whitefield, a friend and important supporter of the Dartmouth project., Wheelock writes,
None know, nor can any, without Experience, well conceive of, the Difficulty of Educating an Indian. They would soon kill themselves with Eating and Sloth, if constant care were not exercised for them at least the first year – they are used to set upon the Ground, and it is as natural for them as a seat to our children…They are used to a Sordid Manner of Dress, and Love it as well as our Children to be clean – They are not used to any Regular Government, the sad Consequences of Which You may a little guess at…
Wheelock appears blatantly insulting to the Native Peoples of America, but is this the reason why he made the decision on the shift in Dartmouth’s education? If this truly the motive it appears to be, the overall decision becomes somewhat petty. A school for Native Americans no longer teaches them because they do not learn as well; this notion seems somewhat redundant. Yet, the idea of Dartmouth as a Native American oriented college, or any college in general for that matter, is mostly forgotten to the general public. Should not the Native Peoples have some ownership in the founding of one of the great education institutions in America? Furthermore, the implications these letters give rise the question, “Was Dartmouth ever truly planned for anyone but whites?”
Today, Dartmouth is ranked the twelfth best post-secondary school in the United States (U.S. News Education) and is made up of 50% Caucasian students (Dartmouth admissions). In a sobering contrast, only 4% of Dartmouth students are classified as Native American. Furthermore, according to the 2014 President’s Youth Native Report, only roughly 13% of Native Americans in the country earn a Bachelor’s degree. Not only have Native Americans been denied their historical due regarding our education systems, but this may have affected their means of achieving a higher education as a whole. What are the direct relations to these statistics and Dartmouth being changed to a primarily white school, and how would the statistics been different if Wheelock did not have his way? One can only speculate, however, it seems to me the reparations owed to the Native Peoples and their educations are long past due.
