The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-07

Children.
Indian Parents Glad to Place Their Little
Ones in the school--The
TeacherA
Major Peter Roman, agent at the Fiat
head reservation, writes az follows:
In The DAILY INDEPENDENT of yesterday
are kilograms from Washington, dated AZ
that city August 81, under the heading
Favorable Reports Received Concerning
the Northwest Indians-Major Peter 10
mans kindergarten Scheme Of Instruction
is Certainly Success etc. The dispatch
goes on to say that 1.-THE report OF Agent
Peter Roman. at the Flathead agency N
Montana, IL unique in that it treats TO some
extent Of the kindergarten system a. taught
TO juvenile redskins of that tribe. Tho re-
suits are said to be SO good that an extern
sion Of the system is recommended" Inc
dispatch also speaks of the number OF In
dams on the reserve, the num-
Der Of bushels of grain raised. etc., all
of which is substantially correct, but when
your special telegram states that ! have
united in marriage fifty Indian couples dur
ing the year, most respectfully deny the
soft impeachment. That delicate service
has always been performed by the Catholic
missionaries of this reservation, ever since
the days of Father DeSmit. I am pleased,
however, to note that my report on the
kindergarten system OF teaching among
the Indian children of this reservation has
attracted the attention of the government'
r l. h %np niuho M, oYkPaNk from Qal0
report for publication as think it will be
of interest to the public:
During the year a kindergarten was
added to the school by the faculty. Having
for some time past contemplated the estab-
lishment of such an institution in connec-
ton with the Indian school for older chill
dren, the missionaries were, for want OF
proper buildings, unable to put the plan
into execution until the spring of 1880. The
result has proved most satisfactory.
am informed that the project of this en-
| terprise was made known to DR.. Dorchester,
superintendent of Indian schools. last year.
and it not only met with his approval, out
he very much encouraged the missionaries
to make the trial.
Among others some of the following rea.
sons might be urged for the encouragement
Of the work on the part of the governments
The children, if taken into school at the
age of two or three or four years, and kept
there, only occasionally visited by thei,
parents, will, when grown up, know moth;
ing of Indian ways and habits. They will
be thoroughly, though imperceptibly
formed to the ways of the whites IN theil
habits, their thoughts and their aspira.
tions:. They, will not know IN tact, o.
guage, and will know only English. Ont
generation will accomplish what the pas
system would require generations to erect
The affection Of the child being gained a
it's youngest age, it is likely to grow up viii
q love for the whites instead of hatred, o.
at least difidence as is the case to grea
extent at present. The training OF thu
children in later years in the various de-
partments Of an industrial school education
will be much facilitated; its latent talen
discovered and better cultivated. Neve
having tasted of the roaming, free. and
not having been spoiled by the indulRenc
of parents, or near relatives, which is gen
I orally the case with all grown children
i. This love for roaming, lazy life, makes
at all times hard to get boy or girl OF ordl
nary school age to resign himself or hersel
TO the confinement of boarding school.
The mortality among the Indians rage
3 principally among the younger children
because of want of proper care. of prope
food, of proper clothing and on account o
! exposure. While actually at present man
children are dying on the Flathead resel
walton among the people at large, fe
: deaths OCCUR in the school, and none as ye
in the kindergarten, where some fifty littl
Q ones are cared for. The older Indians seel
: we'll pleased with it, and, contrary to 9,
= pectations, brought their children to
7 without scarcely any effort on the part Q
the missionaries and the teachers.
& derived from this Institution, would re-
: ommend the department to consider Il
kindergarten az part of st. Igna!lus Indit
9 boarding school, and change the age r
! quired from six years to two years." Al
2 have given for publication in your pap
u the above excerpt from my annual repo
y the public to know who are the teachers
" the kindergarten, established this spring
the mission school, on this reservatio
They are cloistered nuns. the Ursulines, a
+ were the first to establish themselves
70 America. Before the close of the seve
D. communities of women. among whom t.
ss were of the Ursuline order: The Ho use
ct Quebec, founded in 1859, and that of Thu
or Rivers, founded in 1897. New Orleans y
10 the first of all the cities in the Unit
!, States which obtained a community.
a- 1927. At the period Of this foundati
Louisiana belonged to France:
h 1880, the community of New Orlea
10 numbered seven Ursulines. Devoted
10 education and charitable works they dire
" ed school, an hospital and an orphana
% The number of their orphans increae
ae greatly at the time of the massacre by I
n Natohez, which occurred that year. I
to French expedition delivered from slave
many fatherless and transported them
re- New Orleans. .These little girls" wri
LIE Petit in July. 1870, ''that none of
ne citizens would adopt, have only augment
n, the charity aud attention of the Ursulin
! They have given them a separate hall, a
Oh two private mistresses. There IS not one
es this holy community who is not deligh
at having braved the dangers of the 9
no were she to do naught else than preset
n these children in innocence and bestov
ne polite and Christian education upon
r. Young French girls, who are in danger
no being not much better educated than tn
ne slaves"
oh This is the community which has sil
I'M spread its influence in every portion
sr- America, and is now engaged in the kind
In oarten on this reese rvation.
of FLATHEAD INDIAN AGENCY, Sept. 2. 1880
rs -. -
lot CUMMONS-IN THE DISTRICT COURT
he y the first judicial district of the state Of N
ma. in and Tor the county OF Lewis and Clarl