Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-12
EOUCATIAhF The INDIANS
Superintendent Of Schools Makes Plea for
industrial, Feature.
REPORT OF WYOMING WOMAN eDucAroF
Dark-skinned sons of the Forest DO
Not Take 60 Training Kindly,
but Fad by Becoming
Good Citiseas.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.-Miss Reel. su-
nual report makes q strong plea for the
Industrial feature Of educational work
among the Indians. Miss Reel. who was
formerly land commissioner as we'll as su-
perintendent Of public instruction for the
state of Wyoming. is the first woman who
has been at the head Of the government
Indian school service.
In her report she says
The government has upon its various
reservations about $50 day and boarding
schools in which there are over 1000 teach
ers employed. For these teachers several
institutes were held last summer and fall
In some Of the western states, the majority
OF which the superintendent conducted, an
augurating a number Of Innovations, chief
among which were the requiring Of actual
work to be done In the teaching OF cook
ing, sewing, housework, 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 gov
ernment and prepare wholesome and
varied bill of fare for every day In the
week; q physicians conference was held
and nurses instructed how to use small
remedies. Manual training was also strongly
emphasized.
1.-THE government has not AZ yet adopted
compulsory measures for the education Of
the Indian children and the fact is that the
dark-skinned sons OF the forests do not
take to education very readily. Some reser-
vations withhold the rations until the par
ents place their children in the schools,
and, so strong is the opposition to this,
in many cases they have held out against
1t until their families were on the verge
Of starvation. This feeling is not general
and during the last year the attendance
percentage was very fair In the reservation
schools the work Is divided between the
hours Of study and industrial duties.
Educated Indians Becoming Citizens.
THE girls are taught, aside from the
common school branches, to become good
housekeepers ana the boys farming and the
ordinary industrial arts. Besides these res
ervation schools others teach the higher
branches of scientific trades. These schools
have graduated a large number Of their
pupils, OF whom but comparatively few
have returned to their old manner OF liv-
ing, while the great majority are making
good citizens. There Is still, however, room
for improvement and the aims OF the young
Indian must be made higher he must be
brought into touch and kept in contact
with our civilization. Where Indians have
been surrounded by good class OF white
settlers the attachments to camp life have
been ended. 2 r..,v, -
"The placing OF, Indian boys and girls
in service in families of farmers, although
for few months enly-the girls instructed
in the practical economics of the family life.
the boys In farming. gardening. stock rails
ing. etc.--has, met, with abundant success
at CARLISLE. where the. plan originated. ."''
! Industrial education and the necessity'o of
furnishing employment for the Indian stu
dent upon his return from schboi are dweit
upon. Compulsory education and more at
tention to, manr4 training" are strongly
urged. The report further says: I
II desire to emphasize the statements
of numerous Indian educators that indus
trial training schools have taken a perma-
nent place in Indian education. for It is the
foundation stone upon which the training
Of the Indian Is built The concensus Of
opinion OF the superintendents at the last
summer schools show that too little atten-
tion is paid to this field Of labor and It
was insisted that larger facilities for work.
shops and teachers be provided. that this
work, upon which the civilization of the
race depends. may not suffer. -
Industrial training should be in line
with the work that students will And on
their reservation and should tend to teach
them to become elf-supporting. The back
bone Of an education is the ability to do
something; that 4 large majority OF the In
dams must labor with their hands and that
the methods adopted should be those which
will teach him how to do that and to en-
~ 1~to
and to adapt himself to his surroundings"
Miss Reel also pleads for Industrial edu-
cation 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-
tion.