Pratt’s “Kill the Indian, Save the Man” exemplifies Indian savagery and civilized whiteness. Pratt argument entails killing all those of the Indian race as his justified understanding of saving them as well as the society; “all the Indian there is in race should be dead. Kill the Indian in him, and save the man” (Harvard University Press, 1973). Pratt’s ideology is interpreted as a solution, wherein Indian’s are being “saved”. In actuality, this phenomenon is dehumanizing, exploits racism, and is blinded to the negative impacts posed on Indians.
Zitkala-sa’s personal narrative subverts Pratt’s binary and civilized whiteness. Zitkala- sa provides direct insight of Indian life, culture, and perspectives. Zitkala- sa directly undermines Pratt’s dehumanization of Indian’s by stating; “but we were driven, my child, driven like a herd of buffalo. To further explain, she recognizes she is treated as an animal (herd of buffalo) with conscious awareness of being human. On the other hand, Pratt’s theology of “saving the man” incorporates dehumanizing Indians by transforming humans into animals.
According to Pratt, unified implementation of civilized whiteness is the justified way of fundamentally operating a society. Consequently, Indians are stripped from their individuality and forced to conform into “whiteness”. Zitkala-sa brings light to this problematic aspect that Pratt fails to recognize by stating; “I no longer felt free to be myself, or to voice my own feelings. The tears trickled down my cheeks, and I buried my face in the folds of my blanket”.
Zitkala- sa’s narrative manifests the fear and violence experienced by Indians, which is the result of Pratt’s mission of “saving” them. The oppressors are classified as “paleface” , and the fear and anger toward paleface is noted throughout the narrative. For example, “There is what the paleface has done! Since then your father too has been buried in a hill nearer the rising sun. We were once very happy. But the paleface has stolen our lands and driven us hither. Having defrauded us of our land, the paleface forced us away”, demonstrating how violence is projected through the murder of her father and resources are unjustifiably revoked. Additionally, fear is a prevalent aspect of Indian life “Thus, when my mother left me by myself that afternoon, I sat in a fearful mood within our tepee. I recalled all I had ever heard about Wiyaka-Napbina; and I tried to assure myself that though he might pass near by, he would not come to our wigwam because there was no little girl around our grounds.”. Furthermore, signifying how fear is extremely dominating because home is typically ones comfort and safe haven, but in this instance fear is still prevalent.
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