Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-01-11
TRAINING me INDIANS.


The January number OF The Forum
contains an article on tho "Proper
Training and tho Future Of the In.
dlans," from the pen Of Ainior J. W.
Powell. As Major Powell has spent
nearly half his life In association Ia
one form or smother with lhe abOrig-
tues, his treatment Of such a subject
IL entitled al least to respectful oonold-
Grafton. As to his experiences, he TO-
counts that no has seen most Of the
tribes OF tho United States; has wan.
dered with the natives In the woods,
ridden with them across tho plains,
climbed with them over mountains,
visited their homes, slept In their
camps and studied their languages,
habits, customs and mythology; Tor
twenty-five years has bad associated
with him on exploring expeditions and
In the work Of the bureau of othnol-
ogy number OF men who, like
himself, have been making a lite.sludy
Of tho North American Indians; HE
investigatons have extended from the
Eskimo Of the Arctic circle to the
Maya Of the tropics; and he has seen
thousands OF Indians pass from the
state OF sayhgery to hRlf-oivllized con.
ditlon, and a smaller number into prao-
tical civilization.
From the last sentence 1t may bo In.
ferred that Major Powell Is a believer
In the theory that the education Of the
Indian can be productive OF good. lie
has seen II worked 10 successful
denomination. lie does not believe
that "the only good Indian 10 dead
Indian" because his experience has
proven otherwise. But he has decided
and, It must be- admitted even by those
inclined to disagree with him, very
practical views aa to the manner Ia
which the ab0riginoB should be- dealt
with by the government and by
schools.
In the first place, he declares that
the United States policy OF dealing
with this Indians as sovereign nations,
and making treaties with them en- that
basis, 10 erroneous and has proven
dlsaslrousi aud TO confirm his argu.
menl no cites the policy Of nations
north and south Of Ne, who have dealt
with the sRyagei as portion Of the
people to bs controlled direct by
goyeruAent. Then he points out the
record Of early school experiences, unI
says that from achools and books the
Indian learned little; "lhe early
methods devised for clylllziug
the Indian tribes largely failed.
Schools ana books failed" The
reason for this failure he points out Ia
the fact that the white educators had
not realized that tue Indians were not
a homogeneous people; that they were
dealing with hundreds of dlstlucl gov.
ernmeuts, religions and languages, aud
consequently that wuich was accom-.
plished for one little tribe had no IN.
huenoe by extending beyond 10 bouu.
uary, anu books In one Indian tongue
could be read by only % lew persons.
Therefore a literary gduGauop was ina.
practical
Turning to the new OF industrial
systuu OF education, Major Powell
points CUT that It has mo, with
really wonderful suc1es,, an the
conditions considered, auL Industrial
art has made deep impression on the
Rborgiaes. There are now about 10. 90
Inui,n children under instruction.
They are being fought TO work, aud 10
speak nnI write the English language
In certain Tuiimeuls. Summing up
the results thus attained, It IL stated
that "men by tue thousands VINO were
tpAring rabbits m their youth aud my
youth are now guiding the plough;
girls who were picking berries then /