, 1898-12-13
MISS REELS WARDS.
SUPERINTENDENT OF INDIAN
SCHOOLS FIRST ANNUAL
REPORT.
Makes a Strong Plea for the Industrial
Feature of Educational Work
Among the acknowledgements
a Manual Training School for Both
Boys and Girls.

fN ~
the industrial feature of educational
work among the Indians. Miss Reel,
who was formerly land commissioner
as well as superintendent OF public in
%struction 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 It's var
ious 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,
i~naugurating a number of innovations,
chief among (which were the requiring
of actual work to be done in the teach
ing of cooking. sewing, Homework. etc.
Garments were 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 pro-
vided by the government and prepare a
wholesome and varied bill OF fare for
every day in the week; a physicians
conference was held and nurses in
structed how to use small remedies.
Manual training was also strongly EN-
phasized.
The government has not as yet
adopted compulsory 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 reservations with
hold the rations until the parents 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 gem
eral and during the last year the at
tendance 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 farm
ing and the ordinary industrial arts.
Besides these reservation schools 9TH
ens teach the higher branches of scien-
tifc trade. These schools have grad
uated 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 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 a
good class of white settlers the attach
ments to camp life have been ended.
The placing Of Indian boys and girls
in service in families Of farmers, al
though for a few months only--the
girls instructed in the practical eco
Monies OF the family life, the boys in
farming, gardening, stock raising, etc.
has met with abundant success at
Carlisle, where the plan originated"
Industrial education and the neces-
sity Of furnishing employment for the
Indian student upon his return from
school are dwelt upon. Compulsory ed
ucation and more attention to manual
training are strongly urged. The re-
port further says:
Il desire to emphasize the statements
OF numerous Indian educators that In
dustrial training schools have taken a
permanent place in Indian education,
for 1t is the foundation stone upon
which the training OF the Indian is
built. The c%oncensus OF opinion Of the
superintendent at the last summer
schools show that too little attention
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 a
line with the work that students will
dnd ON their reservation and should
tend to teach them to become sef-sup-
porting. The backbone Of an education
b the ability to do something that a
large majority Of the Indians must ia
Dor with their hands and that the
methods adopted should be those which
will teach him how 90 do that and to
enable him to understand existing con-
ditious and to adapt himself to his BUR
roundinSs."
Miss Reel also pleads for industrial
education for young women, On the
theory that when you ctvfise the wife
you civilize the home" and that SOW
Ing, cooking and a course Of economic
housekeeping shall be leading fsotors
10 every Indian girls ~educatiou-