“Any Violation of This Arrangement”: Catholic Negotiations at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, 1883–1918

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines the relationship between the administration at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School and Catholic missionaries, particularly those associated with the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions, as well as the local clergy. It traces the development of the school from the Protestant regime under Richard Pratt to the secular one under Moses Friedman. Throughout this shift, Catholics tried to negotiate a place for themselves at the school. The success of their efforts reflected federal policies on religious education, the personalities of those involved, or the perception of common goals. The author argues that Catholic attempts to develop a place for themselves were initially limited by Protestant sentiment and later the rise of the supposed secular school. In doing so, Davis adds to the historiography on interreligious tensions and dialogue at the turn of the twentieth century, placing the Carlisle Indian Industrial School at the center of these negotiations.