The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-11-24
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Commissioners Jones, in His Annual
Report, Tells Of Educafion Of
the Nations Wards.

liam A. Jones. besides reviewing the prog
ress of affairs in all branches of the serv-
ice, urges more schools more systematic
methods, study Of Individual traits and
consideration of subsequent environment
In outlining studies in the Indian schools
The entire educational system of the In
dian office, he says. is predicated upon the
maj adjustment of the anomalous Indian
reservation system. There are now 20522
boys and girls in attendance On the va
rfous Indian schools out Of an enrolment
of over 250G0. The Indian population from
which these are taken being $4,000.
While the population has remained station
airy. there has been such a steady increase
In the number OF the Indians being educat-
ed as to warrant the opinion that the next
quarter century will witness not a dfminu-
ton of the Indian popula ton, but an ex-
tinguishment of Indian tribes. One dis
couraging factor, however, is disclosed by
the unsatisfactory results of the past nine
years trial Of coeducation of the Indians
with the whites in the public schools. The
report says the results Of this coe6ucation
are not commensurate with the expendi-
ture; that the idea theoretically is an adj.
mirable expedient for breaking down preju-
dlces and civilizing the Indian, but the fig
ures show 1t Is not an unqualified success.
The full blood, who needs such contact
most. is rarely secured, and the ground
work, at least, Of Indian education must
be laid under the government auspices and
control.
tendance on Indian schools are urged.
There are 1852 employees in the Indian serv-
ice, and the policy is to employ Indians in
every position to which they are adapted
by nature and education. A thorough and
exhaustive investigation of the SeminoIes
in Florida has resulted in the discontinue
ance OF the offices Of Industrial teacher
and other employees. and no school will be
established for them at present. their real
and fancied wrongs having embittered
them against governmental assistance.
The removal of the PERKS school, in south
ern California, and rebuilding 1t in a more
suitable locality will be recommended to
congress.
Concerning the Indian territory, the re-
port severely arraigns nepotism. lack of
mana cement, demoralized conditions and
a deplorabe state of affairs generally in
administering the schools and orphan
asylums Of the five Indian nations Out
of q boarding schools, not more than four
of the superintendent are reported COM
petent to teach the ordinary English
branches, and financial mismanagement is
especially complained of.
Reporting on the Chippewa outbreak of
last autumn. Commissioner Jones says:
For many years Chippewas have been
arrested and taken from their homes to st,
offenders. chiefly in whisky cases Often
wholesale arrests have been made solely
for the fees which would accrue to the Of
ficials. Indians have been helped 10 obtain
whisky by the very ones who arrested them
for using it. In some cases Indians car
ried off to court have been left to get back
home as best they could. The whole mat
ter of arrests by deputy marshals had come
to be farce, fraud and hardship to the
Chlppewas, and disgrace to the COM
munity.
But neither does this by Itself explain
the outbreak. When q dele CATION of Chip
pewas visited Washington last winter.
their most bitter complaint was about In
justice in the use of their funds. and frauds
in the disposition Of their timber. without
going into details. 1t is sufficient to saw that
in 1889 the Chippewas were with difficulty
induced to cede to the United States large
tracts Of valuable pine lands on the repre-
sentation that the sale Of the pine would
bring them in a fund of several million dol
lars. AS Is always the case, many Indians
were utterly opposed to the negotiation
"A commission was appointed to make
al!otments on coded and reservation lands
and to secure removals to White Earth
OF those who were willing to go there Es-
timators were appointed to appraise the
Chippewa pine. The expense of both il
charged to the fund of the Indians The ex-
pense of the commission up to date has not
Deen less IMAM sZVoooo, most OF II in salaries.
The work of the estimators proved worth
less. and a second set Of estimaiors was ap-
pointed, with no better results and third
set of men was assigned to the work Up
to date about s2So,0G0 has been charged to
the Indians for estimating. Meantime
large tracts of pine. which had been esti-
mated at from one-fourth to one-ha!f their
value, were sold. and that loss also fell
upon the Indians. Again. under authority
to dispose of dead ard down timber. con-
tractors have cut large quantities of green
standing timber. There are also strong
indications that considerable timber was
fired to bring It nominally under the head
of dead" timber. This was another loss
to the Indians. All these and other minor
influences wrought together to produce
the general feeling of oppression and dis
| trust and eXaspera ton which found ex-
preston when the arrests were undertaken
by the aid of military force"