The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-12
INDIAN SCHOOLS REPORT
Miss Reel Makes a Plea for Edu.
cational Work.
THE INDUSTRIAL FEATURE
Instruction in Sewing. Cooking and
Housework-Manual Training-Op-
position of Parents to Send
ing Children TO School.

Washington, Dec. 11.-Miss Reel. SUI
p~erintendent of Indian schools. in her
annual report. makes a strong plea for
the industrial feature of the educa-
tional work among the Indians. Miss
Reel is the first woman who has been
at the head of the government school
service. In her report she says: The
government has upon its various res
ervations about $50 day and boarding
schools. in which there are over 1000
teachers employed. For these teachers
several Institutes were held last sum-
mer and fall, in some Of the west
ern states. the majority OF which the
superintendent conducted, inaugurating
a number OF innovations. chief among
which are the requiring OF actual work
to be done in the teaching OF sewing.
cooking. homework, etc. Garments
were made by the teachers who are re-
quired to teach sewing in the schools.
and matrons and nurses were shown
how to take the ration list provided by
the government and prepare "A whole
some and varied bill of fare for every
day i'm the week: "a physicians confer
49, Na' NAtAi III AAAahA b'N'
how to use small remedies. Manual
training was also strongly emphasized.
The government has not as yet
adopted compulsory measures for the
education of the Indian children and
the fact is that the dark-skinned sons
Of the forest do not take to education
very readily. Some reservations with
hold the rations until the parents place
their children in the schools and so
strong is the opposition 10 this i'm many
cases they have held out against ii un-
Ill their families were on the verge of
starvation. But this feeling is not gem
oral and during tho past year the at
endant percentage was very fair. In
the reservation schools the work is di-
Vided between the hours of study and
industrial duties. The girls are taught,
aside from the common school branches,
TO become good housekeepers and the
boys farming and the ordinary indus
trial arts. Besides these reservation
schools others teach the higher
branches of the scientific trades These
schools have graduated a large num-
her OF their pupils. OF whom but COM
paratively few have returned TO their
old name of living. while the great
majority are making good citizens.
There is still. however. room for inn
provement and the aims of the young
Indian must be made higher: he must
~ ~ VtN 'hNs ~ - 80
tact with our civilization. Where tribes
7 of Indians have been surrounde by
a good class of white settlers abe de-
basing effects of camp life have been
ended.
THE placing OF indian boys and girls
at service in the families of farmers,
although for q few months only-the
girls instructed in the principal econo-
my of the family life. the boys in farm
ing, gardening. stock raising. etc.-has
met with abundant success at Carlisle,
where the plan originated"
Industrial education and the necessity
Of furnishing employment for the In
dian student upon his return from
school are dwelt upon. Compulsory ed
ucation and more attention to manual
training are strongly urged.
II desire To emphasize the statements
I Cf numerous Indian educators that in
dustrial training should AVE the fore
most place i'm Indian education, for N
is the foundation upon which the gov
eTnment's desire for the Improvement
OF the Indian is built. The consensus
Of opinion of the last summer schools
shows that too little attention L. paid TO
this feld of labor and Il was insisted
that larger facilities for workshops and
teachers be provided that this work
upon which the civilization OF the race
4 depends may not su1er.
industrial training should be In a
line with the work that students will
find on their reservation and should
tend to teach them to become s~elf-sup-
porting. The backbone of an education
Is the ability to do something: that a
large majority of the indians must la
Dor with their hands and that the meth
DDS adopted should be those which we
teach him how to do that, and to enable
him to understand existing conditions
and to adapt himself to his surround
ings."
Miss Reel also pleads for Industrial
education for young women on the the
DRY that when you civilize the wife
you civilize the home" and that sew
ing. cooking and a curse of economic
housekeeping shall be leading factors in
every indian girls education.