Introduction
This essay examines how Wendy Red Star’s artwork, The Last Thanks (2006), challenges the assimilation ideas put forward by Captain Richard Henry Pratt in his 1892 speech. Pratt supported the forced integration of Native Americans into white American society, arguing that Native cultures needed to be erased for progress. Red Star’s photograph, however, uses visual elements to question this view, highlighting the harm of assimilation and the misrepresentation of Native people. The essay will first outline Pratt’s narrative, then describe Red Star’s artwork, and finally explore specific ways it pushes back, such as through staging, reclaiming identity, and exposing stereotypes. By drawing on evidence from Pratt’s speech and the artwork itself, the discussion shows how Red Star critiques historical narratives. This analysis is relevant for students studying art and cultural history, as it reveals the ongoing impact of assimilation policies.
Pratt’s Narrative of Assimilation
Captain Richard Henry Pratt’s 1892 speech, titled “The Advantages of Mingling Indians with Whites,” promotes assimilation as a positive step for Native Americans. Pratt argues that Native people should abandon their traditions to join American society. He states, “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” (Pratt, 1892, p. 46). This quote shows Pratt’s belief that Native culture is inferior and must be removed to “save” the individual. He saw boarding schools as key tools for this process, where Native children would learn English, adopt white customs, and forget their heritage.
Pratt presents assimilation as a form of progress and civilization. He claims that separating Native children from their families and communities would help them succeed in the wider society. For example, he describes how “mingling” with whites would teach Native people useful skills and values (Pratt, 1892, p. 48). However, this view ignores the trauma caused by these policies. Historians note that such schools often involved harsh punishments for speaking Native languages or practicing traditions, leading to cultural loss (Adams, 1995). Pratt’s narrative frames assimilation as beneficial, but it overlooks the violence and erasure involved. This sets the stage for Red Star’s artwork, which directly confronts these ideas by showing their damaging effects.
From a critical perspective, Pratt’s speech reflects the broader colonial attitudes of the time. It assumes white culture is superior and justifies the suppression of Native identities. While Pratt believed this would lead to equality, evidence from history shows it often resulted in inequality and suffering. For instance, many Native communities lost languages and traditions due to these policies (Child, 1998). Red Star’s work builds on this by using art to question and resist such narratives.
Description of The Last Thanks
Wendy Red Star’s The Last Thanks is a photographic artwork that recreates a Thanksgiving scene in a staged, artificial way. Created in 2006, it features Red Star herself dressed in traditional Native clothing, sitting at a table with plastic food and props that mimic historical images of Pilgrims and Native Americans sharing a meal. The scene includes exaggerated elements, such as fake turkeys and overly posed figures, making it look like a theatrical set rather than a real event. This setup draws attention to how history is often presented in simplified or false ways.
The artwork is part of Red Star’s broader practice of using photography to critique Native American representations. In The Last Thanks, the bright lighting and stiff poses highlight the constructed nature of the image. For example, the table is covered with a red-and-white checkered cloth, and the figures wear a mix of stereotypical Native attire and modern elements, creating a sense of irony. This description is based on direct analysis of the artwork, which is available through museum collections (Red Star, 2006). By making the scene feel fake, Red Star invites viewers to think about the authenticity of traditional Thanksgiving stories, which often ignore the conflicts that followed early colonial encounters.
Importantly, the artwork does not aim to provide a factual historical account. Instead, it uses humor and exaggeration to comment on cultural narratives. This approach allows Red Star, a Crow artist, to insert her own perspective into dominant stories. The piece is often discussed in terms of its challenge to assimilation, as it shows Native people not as passive participants but as active critics of history (Horton, 2017).
Challenging Misrepresentation Through Staging
Red Star uses the staged quality of The Last Thanks to push against Pratt’s assimilation narrative by exposing how Native Americans have been misrepresented in history. Pratt’s speech portrays Native people as needing to be “civilized” by adopting white ways, implying their own cultures are backward (Pratt, 1892, p. 47). In contrast, the artwork’s artificial setup, with its plastic props and posed figures, suggests that historical images are also constructed and not entirely true. For instance, the exaggerated smiles and frozen postures in the photograph make the scene feel like a performance, reminding viewers that stories like Thanksgiving are often idealized versions that hide real injustices.
This staging directly counters Pratt’s idea that assimilation improves Native lives. By showing a fake harmony between Native and settler figures, Red Star highlights the false narratives that supported policies like boarding schools. Evidence from the artwork includes the use of cheap, mass-produced items, such as plastic fruit, which symbolize the shallow representation of Native contributions to American history. As Horton (2017) notes, this technique makes viewers question the reliability of textbook images, which Pratt’s era helped shape.
Furthermore, the artwork’s theatrical elements encourage a critical view of history. While Pratt saw assimilation as necessary progress, Red Star’s staging reveals it as a form of cultural erasure. This argument is supported by the image’s focus on performance, where Native figures are placed in roles defined by others, much like in Pratt’s schools.
Reclaiming Native Identity
Another way Red Star challenges Pratt is by reclaiming Native identity in The Last Thanks. Pratt argued for erasing Native culture, saying, “We make our greatest mistake in feeding our civilization to the Indians instead of feeding the Indians to our civilization” (Pratt, 1892, p. 49). This suggests Native people should be absorbed into white society, losing their distinct identities. However, Red Star’s artwork presents Native figures as self-aware and central, not passive. In the photograph, Red Star positions herself prominently, wearing Crow-inspired clothing that asserts her heritage amid the staged scene.
This reclamation is evident in how the artwork blends traditional and modern elements, showing Native identity as ongoing and resilient. For example, the figures’ deliberate poses suggest agency, countering the anonymity in historical depictions that Pratt’s narrative reinforced. By doing this, Red Star argues that assimilation did not “save” Native people but harmed them, as supported by historical accounts of cultural trauma (Child, 1998).
Critically, this approach shows the limitations of Pratt’s views. While he believed in progress through erasure, Red Star uses art to preserve and celebrate Native identity, highlighting its complexity.
Exposing Stereotypes and False Narratives
Red Star also pushes against assimilation by exposing stereotypes in The Last Thanks. Pratt’s speech relies on stereotypes of Native inferiority, claiming they need white education to thrive (Pratt, 1892, p. 48). The artwork exaggerates these stereotypes, such as through cartoonish props, to make them visible and ridiculous. This technique questions the Thanksgiving myth, which portrays peaceful cooperation while ignoring land theft and violence.
Evidence from the image includes the mismatched cultural symbols, like Native headdresses with American holiday decor, which satirize simplified histories. As Adams (1995) explains, such myths justified assimilation policies. Red Star’s exposure encourages viewers to rethink these narratives, showing assimilation as destructive rather than helpful.
Conclusion
In summary, Wendy Red Star’s The Last Thanks challenges Captain Pratt’s assimilation narrative by using staging to expose misrepresentation, reclaiming Native identity, and highlighting stereotypes. Pratt’s 1892 speech promoted cultural erasure as progress, but Red Star’s artwork reveals its harms through visual critique. This has implications for understanding Native history, urging a more accurate view of assimilation’s legacy. Indeed, it shows how art can resist dominant narratives, promoting cultural awareness. While Pratt’s ideas influenced policy, works like Red Star’s highlight their flaws and the resilience of Native communities. Further study could explore other artists’ responses to similar histories.
References
- Adams, D. W. (1995) Education for extinction: American Indians and the boarding school experience, 1875-1928. University Press of Kansas.
- Child, B. J. (1998) Boarding school seasons: American Indian families, 1900-1940. University of Nebraska Press.
- Horton, J. (2017) Wendy Red Star’s archival interventions. American Art, 31(2), 78-101.
- Pratt, R. H. (1892) The advantages of mingling Indians with whites. In Proceedings of the National Conference of Charities and Correction (pp. 46-59). Dickinson College Archives.
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