The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1899-11-23
commissioner Reviews Progress
If Affairs in All Branches
of the Service.
rss STATUS OF The INDIAN SCHOOLS.
rh.rs Are Vow 20,522 Boys and Girls
in Attendance OF an Enrolment
of Over 20.000.
o., 1000 rsrseas Are Empasysd In the
,.al.n ssrvles-Ths roiley 10 10 Em'
o,oy Indians In Every Pssttisa 60
which Thsy Are ritted

w.suIxGroS, Nov lo.-The annual
..nor, of the commissioner OF Indian
.s,;rs William A. Jones, besides re-
,,.vinc the progress of affairs in all
h-anches OF the service, urges more
.,s,,ma,ic methods, study of individ-
,,,l,,ai,, and consideration Of subse-
or.nt environment In outlying stud
.. in the Indian schools. The entire
educational system OF the Indian Of
sce. he SAYS. is predicated upon the
spal Adjustment of the snamalous
Indian reservation system.
There are now 90. 522 boys and girls
IN attendance in the various Indian
,ehools OF an enrollmentof OF over 70 ooo.
The Indian population from which
these are taken, being lsl, 900, while
the population has remained station
,,y there has been such n steady in
erase in the number of the Indians
being educated as TO warrant the opin-
ion that the next quarter century will
witness. not a diminution of the ln-
dian population. but an extingu'Sh-
m.nt of Indian tribes
One Encouraging factor however, is
disclosed by the unsatisfactory results
o, the past nine years trial OF co'edu-
cation OF the Indians with the whites
in the public schools. The report says
in. results of this co-educatiOn are not
commemorate with the expenditure;
that the idea theoretically is an ad-
mirshle cxpedient for breaking down
preiudiccs and civilizing the Indian
Inn, the figures show it is not an un-
qualified success
The full blood, who needs such con-
tact most, is rarely secured, and the
groundwork. at least, of Indian educa-
lion. must be laid under the govern
menrs auspices and control. Stronger
measures for forcing the attendance on
Indian schools are urged. There are
?sea employees in the Indian service
and the policy is 10 employ Indians IN
every position to which they are adapt
ed by nature and education.
A thorough and exhaustive 'nvesti
cation of the Seminoles in Florida hsi
resulted in the discontinuauce OF th'
Offices Of industrial teacher and othe
employees, and no school will be estao
lished for them at present their rea
and fancied wrongs having embittere'
them against governmental assist
ance.
Concerning the Indian territory, th
report severely arraigns nepoiism' lsc'
OF management and demoraIized con
di,ions and a deplorable state OF al
fair. GENERALLY in administering tn
schools and orphan asylums OF the nv
Indian nations
Out Of 81 boarding schools not NOR
than four OF the superintendents ar
competent to teach the ordinary I'm
rlsh branches, and financial misman
agement is especially complained OF
Reporting on the Chippewa outorea'
Of last autumn, Commissioners Jone
says:
For many years Chippewa hav
been arrested and taken from thel
homes to St. Paul and other points
Witnesses or as offenders chiefly
whisky case. Often wholesale arrest
have been made solely for the fee
which would accrue TO the offic'ai'
Indians have been helped to oDta'
whisky by the very ones who arresse
them for using IT,
"In some cases Indians carried on
court have been left to get back nom
as best they could. The whole matter
arrests by the deputy marshals ma,
come 70 a farce, a fraud and hardsh'
to the Chippewas and disgrace 70 s1
community"