Dartmouth’s commitment to the Native American community stems from its 1769 charter, which explicitly laid the foundation for the school to be a place of education and instruction of the youth of the Native American tribes in the land. But it’s important to understand that the story starts years before that — in 1743.
At 17 years old, Samson Occom, a member of the Mohegan Tribe, began studying theology at the Lattin School headed by then-Congregational minister Eleazar Wheelock.
Later, Occom became a teacher and preacher for the Montaukett people, a tribe of Native Americans in Long Island, N.Y. During his time as a preacher, Occom was recognized as a leader that strengthened the indigenous community in New England.
Upon his return to Mohegan, Conn., Occom learned that his former instructor, Wheelock, had established a Native American charity school in the area with hopes of educating the Indigenous community. Wheelock called upon Occom to travel and help raise funds for the school.
Thinking that his commitment would be for an honorable cause, Occom agreed.
In December of 1765, Occom traveled from Connecticut to England to raise money for the school. He preached for three years, delivering around 400 sermons. By 1768, he had raised over 12,000 British pounds, including donations from King George III and William Legge, Earl of Dartmouth. In Britain, Occom was known as a vibrant and lively preacher, drawing large crowds at every sermon.
Meanwhile, Wheelock had promised to take care of Occom’s wife and children back home. Upon returning to Connecticut, though, Occom found that Wheelock had gravely broken that promise. Wheelock had also moved to New Hampshire, relocating the new school , and naming it Dartmouth College. Unlike what had been previously promised, the College was meant now to educate the “sons of American colonists,” not the Indigenous community.
For two centuries after its founding, Dartmouth essentially abandoned its original promise to educate the Native American community in Connecticut and New Hampshire, graduating less than 20 Native American students in 200 years. The money that Wheelock had implored Occom to raise was used to educate future white colonists, the very group of people that had terrorized and erased the culture of Native Americans in the area.
Wheelock even spread rumors about Occom, calling him a drunk — reinforcing a Native American stereotype — and diminishing the reputation Occom had created for himself.
From the very beginning of its existence, the founders of the College failed to stay true to their commitment to the Indigenous community. In doing so, they started a cycle of failure.
This is not to say that Dartmouth has not tried to fix its mistakes and create amends with the Native groups it vowed to serve.
In 1970, then-College President John Kemeny shifted Dartmouth’s mission back to its roots. He called for the creation of the Native American Program and launched the Native American and Indigenous studies department, both of which still exist today. The former champions belonging and equity for Indigenous students at Dartmouth through cultural programming, values-centered leadership development and living-learning spaces. The latter is an academic department aimed to provide a holistic curriculum and meaningful learning environment for the students it attracts. The department offers courses taught by various Native faculty members from the United States and Canada.
Dartmouth has recognized its grave failures from the past and tried to foster a more inclusive environment for the Indigenous community. However, the move to a more Indigenous-focused learning community doesn’t nullify insensitive behavior and attitudes towards Native communities that persist on campus.
For instance, Dartmouth’s Indian mascot was an integral part of the College’s institutional identity for almost a century. From the late 19th century to 1978, when a group of Native American students advocated for the removal of the logo, the side profile view of a Native American man was displayed on almost every piece of school paraphernalia.
Moreover, it wasn’t until 2018 that the College removed a historically inaccurate and insensitive painting portraying Native Americans from the basement of Thayer Dining Hall, now the Class of 1953 Commons. The painting featured hypersexualized portrayals of Native American men and women, displaying them partially or fully nude. The piece, painted by Walter Beach Humphrey, a member of the Class of 1914, was displayed at the Hovey Grill, where hundreds of students would dine every day. Humphrey’s mural downplayed the intelligence of Native Americans by depicting women holding books upside down.
The decision to remove the paintings came only after numerous complaints from Native American students. Why did it take so long for the College to take initiative and remove the paintings? Would they have recognized the harmful implications of the mascot and paintings if there weren’t complaints made by Native American students?
It’s clear that the College still has work to do to foster a more inclusive community for Indigenous students. Making mistakes is one way people learn, but that’s only effective if they are committed to reflecting and dedicating effort towards changing harmful practices.
Perhaps the College should consider renaming East Wheelock House or require students to take a class in the Native American and Indigenous studies department.
As Indigenous Peoples’ Day approaches, it’s important to recognize the groups that came before us and continue to exist. A simple land acknowledgement doesn’t erase the harm that has been inflicted on so many groups in the past, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Fariha Azad is a member of the Class of 2030. Opinion articles represent the views of their author(s), which are not necessarily those of The Dartmouth.
