Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-12


TIONS FOR THE PROSECUTION
OF EDUCATIOAI. WORK aANfONG
THE WARDS OF THE NATION
Washington, December 11.-MiSs
Reel, Superintendent of Indian Schools.
in her annual report, makes a strong
plea for the industrial feature OF edu-
cational work among the Indians. Miss
Reel, who was formerly land commits
sioner as we'll as Superintendent Of
Public Instruction for the state Of wy
oming, 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 yari-
Gus reservations about $50 day and
boarding schools. in which there are
over 1000 teachers 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,
inaNgurating a number of innovations,
chief among which were the requiring
of actual work to be done in the teach
ing of sewing, cooking house work,
etc. Garments we're made by the teach
ers, who are required to teach sewing
in the schools, and matrons and nurses
list provided by the government and
prepare a wholesome and varied bill
of fare for every day in the Week; a
physicians conference was held ana
nurses instructed how to use small
remedies. Manual training was also
strongly emphasized.
THE government has not as yet
adopted compulsory measures for the
education of Indian children and tho
fact is that the dark skinned sons OF the
forests do not take to education very
| readily. Some reservations withhold
the ratiorfs untfl the parents place their
children in the schools, and, so strong
| is the opposition to this, in many cases.
| they have held out against it until
their families were on the verge Of
! starvation. But this feeling is not
general, and during the past year the
attendance percentage was very fair.
In the reservation schools the work 10
divided between the hours of study and
| industrial duties. The girls are taught,
| aside from the noaaaa.-s cnoot
branches, to become good housekeep-
ers and the boys farming and the ordi-
nary industrial arts. Besides these res
ervation schools, others teach the high
er branches of the scientific trades.
These schools have graduated a large
number of their pupils of whom but
comparatively few have returned to
their old manner of living, while the
great majority are making good citi-
zens. There Is still, however, room for
improvement and the aims of the
young Indians must be made higher;
in Christian contact with our civiliza-
ton. Where tribes of Indians have
been surrounded by good class of
white settlers the debasing effects OF
camp life have been ended. The plac-
ing of Indian boys and girls at servics
in families of farmers, although for a
few months only-the girls instructed
in the practical economy of the family
life, the boys in farming, gardening,
stock raising, etc.-has met with abun-
dant success at Carlisle, where the plan
originated
Industrial education and the neces-
sity of furnishing. employment to the
Indian student upon his return from
school are dwelt upon. Compulsory
education and more attention to manual
training are strongly urged.
Il desire to emphasize the statements
Of numerous Indian educators that in
dustrial training should have the fore
most place in Indian education, for 1t
is the foundation upon which the gov
ernments desire for the improvement
OF the Indian is built. The concensus
of opinion of the superintendent of
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 and
teachers be provided, that this work,
upon which the civilization of the race
depends. may not suffer.
Industrial training should be In a
line with the work that students will
find on their reservations, and should
tend to teach them TO become self
supporting. The backbone Of an edu-
cation is the ability TO do something;
that a 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 enable him to understand existing
conditions and TO adapt himself TO his
surroundings
Miss Reel also pleads for industrial
education for young women, on the
theory that when you civilize tho
wife you civilize the home" and that
sewing, cooking and a course Of econ
omic housekeeping shall be leading
T. ~