The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-07-11
Education Among the Chickasaws.

The educational system OF the Chlck5-
saws is maintained by the interest on
trust funds in the hands of the United
States. Hon. Geo. W. Harkins. OF
Tishomingo. is the National Superin-
tendent of Schools There are in addi-
ton to nine common public schools the
following institutions within the Ma
ton: The Orphans Home at Lebanon,
having thirty boys and thirty girls
under instruction regularly every year !;
the Wahpanucka Academy. with forty
five boys and girls at the last date
about evenly divided as to sex; the
Bloomfield Female Academy, having
forty-five inmates, and the hickasaw
Male Academ p, near Tlsho ningo, with
sixty students. The Nation owns the
build ngs of these last named four in
S, tutions, and cont acts with parties
to have the pupils supplied with board,
be iding. tuition, books, medicine aud
eyeryi hing necessary to school life eX
cept clothing. At the Orphans Home
the contractor suppl es tie clothing
also. and the pupils are wholly sup
ported by the Nation. The contrac-
tors are: Chicsasaw. sac academy.
Judge b. W. Carter; Bloomfield, Fe-
male Academy, robert L. lloyd Wah-
panu ka Acad, my, Mrs. Susan Il.
Burkes and at the Orphans Home.
George ID. James, The supply of
school material proper, such as
books, apparatus, furniture. etc.. is
left mainly to the discreet on of the
contractor. he contractor at the Fe-
male Academy, for instance, is allowed
$3.50 per month pc pupil, or : ',tOJan-
nuallv for the full number of sixty pu-
pills The number is limited by law,
but Is const uctively always full. Many
more pupils apply than can be admit
ted. and vacancies from sickness or
death are speedily filled. The Chicka-
saws owe it to themselves to change
their whole educational system; estab-
lish many more common free schools;
compel parents to cloth their school
children respectfully, or do it at the en-
pense of the Nation; make sending to
school compulsory, especially in the
case of girls; abandon all pre.ease of
gi ing an acalemic or collegiate educa-
ton at public expense, and concentrate
al their iortS upon common school
studies and manual labor training.
>chool-book studies Tor both seX.s should
embrace spelling. reading. writing,
arithmetic g ography and, wl:ese prac-
ticab!e. English grammar and analysis,
but nothing more. the rema nder OF
their time shout he spent by the boys
in learning to work on the farm. in
wood, leaf e.. iron. tin. etc; and the
girls shou d be taught cooking and gem
eral hoIsewors. .-0nly this and moth
ing more. excepting such oral and
religions instruction as should be given
to the youn in aliwalks Of life with
out regard TO sex, color or race. This
is all which will now benefit the aver
ace Chickasay boy or girl, and is all
for which the Nation should assume
any responsibility.
Inc academy buildings are not kept
in good repar aud never will be under
the present plan of supporting the
schools. The Male Academy near fish
omingo is very large and imposing
edifice as one approaches it, p easantly
situated and surrounde by forest trees,
but is old, diapidated and shabby to a
gree that is wholly iDexcusable. 1T
was built long before the war, lutte
forty years ago, and was first conduct
ed as tirst-ci-ss manual training
school. The rebellion ended all instruc-
ton there till 1872. Very little has ever
been expended in repairs, and point
is now reached where heavy outlay is
required to make and keep the building
habitable.
The Chckasaws have no written Ian
guage Of their own out have adopted
that of the hoctaws. which uses the
Roman alphabet. The Old Testamen,