The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-23
EDUCATION OF
The INDIAN.

4 .F~NfNN"
priated TO it the Indians for citizenship
that is, for their education That, witt
some other contributions. supported A
boarding schools and lO2 day schools
with S59S pupils. In 1899 the annual appro'
priation was 81, 63s, 800 for the support OF
las boarding schools. and POS day schools
with total Of $4,000 pupils. These figures
alone, in his opinion, signify the success
OF the school system, and the belief of
the country in ~ efficacy
"The latest annual report issued by the
Commissionsr Of Indian Affairs-which'
by the way, places the number of board
ing schools al ll3, instead OF las Of Mr..
Dawes reckoning in lS99-is a gloomy
state document Mr.. Jones apparently
despairs OF the present system.
Not having earned his education, he
says OF the Indian pupil. II is not appre-
ciated: having made no sacrifice 10 OBJ
tain. il is not valued. II is looked upon
as a favor to the government not 10 the
recipient and the almost inevitable ten
dency is to encourage dependence, foster
pride and create a spirit OF arrogance and
selhshness.
THAT very few children between the
ages OF five and p make personal sacri-
fees to obtain an education is equally
true. To be sure. their parents as citi-
zens are supposed TO aid in the support
Of the public school system; but perhaps
the logical and remembering Indian pa
rent may feel that he too, has sacrificed
enough 10 the state 10 justify him in
expecting an education for his children
especially since the white men seem so
very anxious 10 give IL. And, after all,
a 10 or 20-year experiment IS but "A brief
one in the history of "A race.
AT Hampton and Carlisle, where care
ful records of the graduates have been
kept. II is said that 76 per cent OF those
who have gone out OF the schools have
been good average men and women. AT
Hampton a late report gives the proper
tion which works as teachers. clerks doc
tors and in the professions generally. as
IFS 10 l91 farmers, herders and mechanics
IA proportion which does not seem 10 i'm
dicate that the advance of the Indian will
be solely along the hewing OF wood and
drawing of water lines.
However no one can visit one Of these
well-conducted boarding schools and feel
quite the same hopelessness as before. III
there is an element of the ludicrous in
the sight of "a great boy who I'm more
strenuous days might have dangled scalps
on his belt, smiling vacantly at the pic
ture of "a waddling duck and painfully
chanting his advice to il 10 run, our own
city night schools are full of sights more
ludicrous. And with us here they are not
balanced by the hopeful visions OF young
farmers tilling and blacksmiths hammer
ing and girls ironing with Vigor.
'Savagery has not set upon the faces
Of our western wards half the hopeless
ness. the stupid indifference that the far
eastern civilizations have branded upon
those of their races whom they send here,
and whom we, without apparent qualms
or misgivings, undertake TO educate and
it for citizenship. To be sure, we under
take TO fit them for citizenship in our
very midstW do not segregate them, and
give them for companionship only those
of ourselves who will prey upon their
simplicity and their native passions, or
those who will regard them with the
deep-seated hostility OF avaricious iEnor-
ance. IL is possible II the unlearneo
may hazard "A theory. that this is one
reason why the barbarian peasant hords
frc n Europe are so much more readily
prepared for citizenship than the savages
Of the west
after all. the effect of Indian educa-
tlon upon the trlDeS from Wnlcn the chill
dren go out depends upon two things
the actual, workaday value TO them OF
the things they have learned, and the af-
fection with which they are regarded
and through which alone they may hope
to exert influence
If the little disquisitions upon Ulysses
and the like seem remote from an Indian
boys immediate educational needs. there
is comparatively little OF that to great
deal Of carpentry. III the Paris doll and
the list OF the English queens do not
seem Immediately connected with the In
dian girls destiny-no more are they
with that of Bridget on East Forty-hrst
street or of Rebecca on Rivington. And Ii
is always 10 be remembered that the In
dian child is learning, too. arts quite un-
taught I'm Bridgets school and Rebecca's s.
ironing. dressmaklng. cooking and the
like. | do not believe that any one can
visit "a well-conducted Indian boarding
school like the one at Santa Fe, and,
remembering how short n time we have
been conducting the manual training ex-
pertinent. despair Dependency seems
almost premature. Anne O'Hagan In
Anslees.