The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-12
APPEAL FOR THE INDIAN
MISS REEL, SUPERINTENDENT OF
SCHOOLS, MAKES HER REPORT.
strong Plea for Industrial Training
in Making Good Citizens.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.-Miss Reel, SUI
perintendent of Indian schools, in her an
nual report makes a strong plea for the
industrial feature of educational work
among the Indians Miss Reel, who was
formerly land commissioner as well as SUI
perintendent of public instruction for the
State of wyoming, is the first woman who
has been at the head of the government In
dian school service In her report she says:
1.-THE government has on its various reser-
vations about go day and boarding schools
in which there are over 1000 teachers en-
ployed. For these teachers several institutes
were held last summer and fall in some of
the Western States, the majority OF when
the superintendent conducted, inaugurating
a number of innovations, chief among wmch
were the requiring Of actual work to be done
in the teaching of sewing, cooking, house
work etc. Garments We're made by the
teachers who are required to teach sewing
in the schools, and matrons and nurses were
shown how to take the ration list provided
by the government and prepare wholesome me
and varied bill of fare for every day IN the
week: a physicians conference was helu ana
nurses instructed how to use small remedies
Manual training was also strongly ehipIa-
sized. .zo,,4,a
compulsory measures for the educatlon ~
the Indian children, and me Iact Is tlat tila
dark-skinned sons of the forests do not take
to education very readily. Some reserNdtiohs
withhold the rations until the parents place
their children in the schools, ana SO s't t6
have held out against 1t until their idIlllL ne:
were ON the verge of Starvation put TINS
feeling is not general, and during the past
year the attendance percentage was Vsiy
fair. In reservation schools the work IS III
vided between the hours or study ana lI edus
trial duties The girls are taught, aside from
the common school branches, to become goou
housekeepers, and the boys farming ana the
ordinary industrial arts. Besides theSe, res
ervation schools others teach the higher
branches of the scientific trades Inese
schools have graduated a large number OF
their pupils of whom comparatively Few
have returned to their old manner of living
while the great majority is making good
citizens There is STILL however room Ior
Improvement and the aims OF the young n n
dian must be made higher he must be
brought into touch and kept IN CONTACT WIN
our civilization. Where tribes o. illul'i nf
white settlers the debasing effects OF camp
life have been ended. -,
The placing OF lndlah boys anu SuIs az a..
service in families of farmers, although Ioc
a few months only-the girls instructed IN
the practical economies of the family me-
the boys in farming. gardening, STOCK raS-
ing etc-has met with abundant success at
Carlisle where the plan originated INDUS
trial education and the necessity OF IuTlllsIl-
ing employment for the Indian student on
his return from school are dWelt on COM
nuIsory education and more attention 10
manual training are strongly urged. .
II desire to emphasize the statements oil
numerous Indian educators" the report
saws that industrial training should nave
the foremost place in Indian education, Tor
il is the foundation which the govern
ment's desire for the improvement OF the IN
dian is built The consensus of opinion OF
the superintendents at the last summer
schools shows that too little attention Is paid
to this field of labor, and it was insisted that
larger facilities for workshops ana teacL tI ,
be provided that this work. on which the
civilization of the race depends, may not
suffer. Industrial training should be in
line with the work that students will find
on their reservation, and should tend to
teach them to become .self-supporting;. The
backbone of an education is the ability TO
do something; that large majority of the
Indians must labor with their hands, and
that the methods adopted should be those
which will teach him how to do that, and
to enable him to understand existing condI-
tions and to adapt himself to his surround
ings. 49,,
ton for Young women, on the theory that
when you civilize the wife you civilize the
home and that sewing, cooking and a
course of economic housekeeping shall be
leading factors in every Indian girls educa-