The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-01-20
DUCATING INDIANS.

a very considerable amount OF his space
in his annual report to the Indian ques-
ton and the civilizing methods with
which he has attempted to solve it. In
regard to the educational facilities with
which the Government is now making
experiment in limited way, Mr.. Schurz
said Last year l spoke of the Indian
school at Carlisle, then just established
by this department, under the superin-
tendency of Captain Pratt, as an expert
ment. Itmay now be said that it is a
mere experiment no longer. The pro-
gress made by the Indian pupils there
as we'll as at Hampton in the acquisition
of elementary knowledge as well as in
agricultural and mechanical work has
been sufficient to demonstrate the
CAPACITY OF THE INDIAN
For civilized pursuits. The pupils are
instructed not only in the English Ian
guage, in reading, writing, lower mathe-
MATES, geography. &C., but the girls are
educated in household work and con
siderable number of the boys are en-
ployed as apprentices in blacksmithing,
carpentering, shoe and harness making,
wagon building, tinsmithing, tailoring,
in printing office, and in farm work.
The progress made by some of them has
been remarkably rapid, and in almost all
cases satisfactory The number OF pupils
at Carlisle has been incr ased to 1856.
Some of the products of their labor were
exhibited at the county fair, and at
.racted general and favorable attention.
The school is now able to produce some
articles to be used at the different Indian
agencies, such as shoes, tin ware, har-
ness, and wagons. and when the pupils
return to their tribes they can be profita-
bly, employed, not only as practical me-
chapics. but also as instructors OF the
people. 49,, =,
A similar school has been established
at Forest Grove in Oregon under the SUI
perindency of Lieutenant Wilkinson, for
the education of Indian boys and girls on
the Pacific Coast. 1t has been in opera
ton since February last, and is con-
Quoted upon the same principles and
with equal success as the schools at
Hampton and Carlisle. 1t has now 40
pupils, representing six different tribes,
but the buildings erected are large
enough to accommodate $50. There are
many applicants for admission which
will be gratitied as funds can be
made available for that purpose.
Instructions have been given to
INCREASE THE NUMBER
OF pupils to one hundred. In addition
to this, during last year 81 children have
been selected from the tribe of Eastern
Cherokees and placed in boarding
schools in North Carolina, II girls at
Asheville and II boys each at Weaver
Vile and Trinity College, where, aside
from elementary instruction, they are to
receive training in industrial pursuits.
The Indian pnpils at Hampton represent
thirteen different agencies. At Carlisle
are boys and girls belonging to various
bands of the Sioux, Cheycnnes, Arapa-
hoes, Kiowas, Comanches, Pawnees
Menomonees, Iowas, Fox, Lipans. Pom
cas-, Nez Perces, Wichitas, Apaches and
Pueblos. About two-thirds of them are
children of chiefs and prominent men.
A school committee of chiefs and head
men from Nine Sioux agencies on the
Missouri river visited Carlisle and
Hampton last summer. Likewise dele
cations from the Lake Superior Chip
pewas, the Crows, the Shoshones and
Bannacks of Idaho, and the Cheyennes
and Arapahoes of the Indian Territory.
They were all highly delighted with the
care taken of the children and the prog
ress they had made in the arts of the
white man, and promised their active
support and cooperation.
The favor which these schools find
with the influential men of the different
Indian tribes is of great importance as
to the effect to be produced upon the ad-
vancement of the Indians generally.
Formerly it was thought that Indian
children so educated would
SPEEDILY RELAPSE
into the savage habits of their people as
soon as they returned TO them. This
was true as long as all the home lntiu-
ences to be found among the Indian
tribes were hostile to the education OF
any of their members, and any who had
received such an education found them
selves therefore isolated and despised.
This obstructive spirit has not been su'
perceded by very general and anxious
desire of Indian chiefs and influential
men to see their children raised i'll the
scale of civilization, and the influences
which formerly were SO effective
in driving educated Indians back
into the savage habits of the multi
tude surrounding them are now employ
ed in turning the education received by
q comparatively few to the advantage
of the many. The circumstances sur
rounding the educated Indian when now
returning to his tribe are therefore radi-
cally changed. In the old time the edu-
Gated Indian would have found his peo-
pie, thinking of nothing but their
SAVAGE PURSUITS AND PLEASURES,
,.a,,I1o >f a,,,rac,afinu his sunarior