Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-10-29
WORK OF INDIAN SCHOOLS
A Very Interesting and Instructive Report
by Miss stelle Reel Making Valuable
Recommendations.
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING A NECESSITY

be enacted at once, and stringently en-
forced. The number of Indian childre
O. school age in the United S1ates is be
tween $4,000 and 10000, the average at
tendance being q, ,55S. But it is not oh
ligatory upon the father or mother O
and If the parents SO will, the chill
need never attend OF the thousands o
Indian children of school age, many viii
not attend, and many more are not re
quired to do so and it is to overcom
these difficulties that the propose,
measure is urged"
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING.
Miss Reel says Of practical education
"The overshadowing Importance o
Industrial training in our work of In
dian education becomes more clearly
recognized as time passes. The theor,
of cramming the Indian child will
mere book knowledge has been and fol
generations will be, a failure, and tina
fact is being brought home every day
to the workers in the cause of Indiar
regeneration. 1t is necessary for the
child to read and write, since in these
days no life can be intellgently lived
| without these rudiments. A practical
knowledge Of numbers as they relate tc
| his daily work will be most helpful, but
| it is not wise to spend years over sub
jects for which he will have no use in
later life, and for which he has but lit
tie taste now, when the time could be
more wisely employed in acquiring skill
in the industrial arts which will also
train the judgment will power and all
that combines to make up strength of
character"
Tn the way of general remarks the SUI
perintendent says:
zone of the greatest obstacles to be
found in the elevation of the Indian
race is the difficulty Of overcoming the
prejudices of the mothers of the tribe
The men, from constant contact with
the white people, have their ideas
broadened, and absorb many of the
ways of civilization, but the women, re-
naming in the camps, cling with tenac-
ity to their old-time supersttions. The
hopes of the camp Indians are to be
reached mostly through our school
girls, who are to be the future wives
and mothers of the race, and on their
advancement will depend largely the fu-
ture condition of the Indian. All his
tory has proven that as the mother is
so is the home, and that a race will not
rise above the home standard. RecOg-
nizing this truism, more systematic
training in the art of living is being CIV
en- the Indian girls. At Fort Apache
school, Arizona the laundress was so
enthusiastic in her desire to have her
pupils acquire the best methods of
washing and ironing that She with the
assistance of the superintendent, Sc
cured the services of an expert laundry
man to instruct herself and pupils in
the art of starching, dry-fnishing, etc.
The result of this teaching is far reach
ing. Others seeing their superior work,
will emulate it, and better work will
follow.
During my visits in the field I have
frequently been the guest at meals pre-
pared by Indian girls, and the cooking
was as appetizing and wholesome as
one could wish. The service and table
manners of the children were excellent,
showing careful home training. Thor
ough training is given girls in all the
branches of general housekeeping and
the art of homemaking.
GRATIFYING RESULTS.
"After the past nine months in the
field studying existing conditions, it
gives me pleasure to report gratifying
improvements over those of the pre-
vious year. The enrolment has in
creased 1,o26. Better accommodations
are noticeable in the shape of new
buildings erected and additions to old
ones. Many modern improvements have
been made, such as steam heating, cleo
trio lighting, bathing facilities, sewer
age systems and increased and inn
proved hospital appliances.
"The teachers are studying the prob
lem more closely each year, and becom-
ing better acquainted with the needs of
the Indians. More scientific methods in
farming have been introduced, with
good results. Facilities for industrial
training have been increased, those in
whose charge is the molding of the In
dian character realizing that this
branch of the work is the surest road to
independence and self-support. Grad
ually are the youth of the race being
taught to have a respect for the dignity
of labor, and stronger efforts are being
made to prepare the child to meet the
necessities of life along the lines which
he will in all probability follow. Not
~ to manual labor. but the men, fol-
lowing the example of their children,
are seeing the necessity of working, and
the good to be obtained from the pos
session of money and property. This is
noticeable in all sections of the coun-
try"
Attached to Miss Reefs report is an
appendix, containing about twenty-five
closely printed pages. 1t includes a
number of interesting papers and es-
says on topics of interest to the educa-
tors Of Indians. 1t also has the program
OF the summer school held last July at
Charleston, s. c. Among the other pa
pers Is one from Miss Kate e. Hunt. of
the Haskell Institute. Lawrence. Kan,
in which she advocates systematic
training along industrial lines. She
urges that each of the Indian pupils
should be made to feel a sense Of per-
sonal responsibility, and declares that
self-help is the only help that comes to
the child.