The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-05
A WOMAN'S WORK
AMONG RED MEN
Miss Reel. the Superintendent of
Indian Schools, Travels Fear
leSSly Among the Braves--She
Is Teacher, Doctor, Nurse and
Guardian Angel of the Tribes.

One of the bravest and best workers
for the civilizing of the Indians on the
reservat tons is a white woman. Her
name is Estele Reel she halls from
Wyoming, and she holds the important
position of superintendent of Indian
schools for the United States.
Miss Reed is a young woman Of at
tractive personality and great cour-
age She travels alone among the In
dams in the remotest and widest
parts of the country. The fiercest
looking brave has no power to fright
en- her, and her dauntless pluck has
naturally won the Indians respect and
esteem as nothing else would have
done.
The young superintendent Is per-
forming her work in a manner which
reflects credit on womanhood. AS a
result, a marked improvement is no.
tceable in the education of the Indian
all over the country. Each year Miss
Reel travels from coast to coast to
study the various needs of the reser-
walton schools and compare their re-
suits with other schools in more set
tied districts. During her first year of
office she Travelled seven month be-
Npiiiiii6 acquainted WIN Tie NdllOUS
tribes and the methods used in civil
izing them. Much of the distance was
covered by stage and wagon. It is
largely due to her personal observa-
ton that the schools show greater
efficiency than at any other time dur
ing their history.
Congress has a faculty of appropri-
ating money for Indian schools with
out definite idea of where they are
N hn cd Nt0 tvr
Washington knows little or nothing of
the wilds of Arizona. Another reason
for the inaccessibility of the schools
is that they are frequently establish
ed near reservations for which the In
dams purposely chose remote locations.
Miss Reel often travels through parts
of the country where there is not even
a wagon road
Her most perilous journey is up the
Colorado river. She is obliged to
board a barge and take a two-days'
journey on the river. accompanied onI..
by two Indians. Teachers who have
come a long distance from the East
protest that they cannot go on when
they get this far but Miss Reel is con-
fident the Indians are her friends and
never feels the slightest fear of them
Isolation from railroads makes Miss
Reels visit an event in any Indian
school, especially as she carries with
her a whole pharmacopia of medicine.
This is intended for the teachers and
scholars, to whom she is doctor and
nurse.
Many features Of Indian life seem
pathetic to Miss Reel-tha hard work
the squaws are obliged to do, and the
way in which they stand waiting until
their braves have eaten their fill
Once said Miss Reel. II saw a
poor squaw with baby in her arms
looking on and crying while her lord
and master, a tall. fine-looking brave.
devoured every particle of food had
no interpreter, but feeling ii was be-
cause she was hungry I sent her next
day some presents which hoped
would please her"
The children who attend the Indian |
schools are gradually learning civilized |
ways. They cook their food differently
from their parents, and are Clearly in |
eating.
In spite of popular opinion to the
contrary, Miss Reel contends that con- |
tagious diseases spread rapidly among |
the red men. AT one reservation |
which 1 visited" she says, II asked |
to see the chief braves. After being |
kept a long time l was informed the |
delay in appearing was due to their !
making their toilets. On their appear |
ing in state later. / saw that their US
ual queer appearance was enhanced by |
the application of red paint put on to |
conceal peck marks
One of the aims of Miss Reel, and |
others interested in similar work. is |
to bring the handicrafts Of the Indian |
to the front This is already being |
done. In a personal investiga ton |
which she has made of the sales of |
three of the principal stores that han>
die curios in New York, she found that |
al present more Indian goods are sold
than Oriental, rich families like the
frequently buying a thou
sand dollars worth at a time to dec
crate an Indian room. The time for
getting these curios cheaply is rapidly
passing, for the Indian is learning that |
good prices can be obtained, just as he
Is learning the secrets of aniline dyes
and ordinary Germantown wool for
rugs, instead of vegetable dyes Miss
Reel regrets this, and urges that the
Indians be taught TO do their original
work and not limitations.
mot long ago." said Miss Reel when