The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-10-18
The SkOkOmish Reservation.

The report that the Skoko,nish res
ervation is about to be abolished and
the Indians removed is wholly without
foundation. It probably originated
from the fact that there has been con-
siderable talk of closing the boarding
school On the reservation. This latter
the government can do at any time:
the former it cannot do The Indians
own their land in severa1ty, have pat
ents to'it, and are citizens, with the
right of suffrage, the reservation hav-
ing been set apart as a separate pre-
c1nct by the county commissioners.
In all these respects the Indians are in
the same position as those on the Puy-
allup reservation. It would be as
difficult and illegal to remove them
and open the reservation as if would
be to remove the white inhabitants of
Mason county and open their lands for
settlement by others.
But the school can be closed at any
time when the government shall wish
so to do. The treaty with the Indians
was made in 1855, ratified in 1859, and
put into practical effect the following
year. By this employees were to be
furnished, annuities granted and a
school sustained for twenty years.
During that time the government had
no choice, but was obliged to keep the
school in operation. The time expired
in 1880. But by that time it had be-
come the settled policy of the govern
n1ent to educate the Indian children
OF school age throughout the whole
United States, whether the treaties
called for it or not, as those in authori-
ty believed that education was the best
method of solving the vexed Indian
problem. Hence special appropriations
have been made by congress every
year for this object, and in this way
the school at SkoKomish has been sus-
tanned, as well as many others in this
state; in fact nearly or quite all in the
state, as well as very many in other
states and territories. But it is not ex-
pected that this will last always, but
only until the Indians shall be far
enough advanced to educate their own
children, as their white neighbors do.
They are self-supporting in all respects
but two-the school and physician.
In regard to these two points, natural
ly they do not advance as rapidly as in
others; hence the government thinks
it best to assist them by furnishing a
school and physician.
For some time past there has been a
feeling among some in authority, how
ever, that it was time to throw the
Indians on their own resources in
these respects, and for various reasons
1T was thought best to make begin
ming at Skokomish. Last year it was
recommended by one Indian inspector,
but when the authorities at Washing
ton City asked Agent E. Ee11s his
opinion, he replied that he did not
think it wise yet, and so the matter
was dropped, very few ever hearing
that it had been recommended. Last
spring Inspector p. Mccormick, when
on an official trip to Skokomish, stat
ed openly that he should recommend
it, and as other of his recommended
tons had been adopted he said that he
believed that this would be. This
created considerable talk in this
region, and employees for time laid
their plans for the same But Super
intendent r. E. L. Newborne, who is
in charge of the reservation, with all
the powers of an agent, opposed it; so
did others, and it was dropped In
August the subject was again renewed,
soon after the meeting Of the Indian
Teachers Institute at Tacoma, and
Superintendent Newberne wrote that
he believed it meant business this
time The proposition then was to