Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-06
SEIZED THE CHILDREN
ENFORCING COMPULSORY EDUCA
TON AMONG THE MoQUIs.
Interesting Report Submitted to the
Interior Department by Clar-
ence E. Burton.

The officials to whom the government has
entrusted the education Of the Indian chill
dren on the MoQui reservation in Arizona
do not think much of the ambition of the
braves of that nation, at least those of
them who live on the reservation. Recently
the government officers and the Indians
have come into conflict regarding the edu-
cation of the children and the enforcement
OF the compulsory education laws. The In
dams objected to sending their children to
school, and more especially to the Keams
Canyon Training School, which is at a con-
siderable distance from the reservation, &C
cording to eastern calculation, although the
distance does not amount to much in the
west. The matter Of getting the little In
dlans into the schools came to such pass
that an actual encounter occurred between
MIR. Clarence e. Burton. who has charge of
the training Of the young Indian ideas,
backed by force Of minor government
officials, and the entire village at Oraibi
or his troubles with the Indians Mr.. Burton
mas this to say in a special report submitted
to the Interior Department here:
All the Children in School.
Every Moqui child of school age on this
reservation Is now in the schools thereof
but thereon hangs a tale. All of the chill
dren Of first and second mesas have been
enrolled for nearly two years, but some of
the hostile faction at Oraibi have held out
against us, and many of the children were
not in school. but were running naked and
UNFRAMED in the village. On February
determined to make an attempt to get these
children. The trouble has been that we
would approach the village, and the people
would hide their children in some under
ground passage where we could not find
them. took a physician along to vaccnate
all the children found who needed it. as
smallpox is all around us. I also took the
general mechanic and the carpenter and five
others. We left keams Canyon at o'clock
February to drive thirty-five miles
through eight inches of snow and the Their
mometer ten degrees below zero. We had
only proceeded half way when night
came on and the remainder Of the way had
to be made in the darkness and over an I'M
broken and hidden road.
Fight for the Children.
1--WE finally reached Orabi at 1 o'clock
the next morning. having suffered greatly
with the cold. At daybreak we went up ST.
lently to the village and began a search
through the houses for the children. AS
We found them we took them to a kiya
near the center of the village and left them
under guard Of a policeman. Our diligent
search was rewarded by only ten children
When We finished we proceeded to the kiya
and started with the children. About fifty
or the hostiles attacked and attempted
to take the children away from us. At
tel struggling with them till we reached
the edge Of the mesa, where the trail de-
scends abruptly to the school, fearing that
they would crowd us over the edge to our
death, ordered the police to stand off the
mob. Meantime we had got the children
started down the trail to the school. One
Moqm was knocked down in the strug-
gle, but no was hurt in the least
THE leaders then began to parley, saying
that the missionaries had told them that
We had no right to take children without
their consent; that the law did not give
us the right; that the missionaries had
read them the commissioner of Indian af-
fairs orders concerning the cutting<of their
hair, and had told them that we had no
right to do 1t, etc. Imagine. If you WILL
our position-immediately on the edge Of
a lofty precipice, and only an Icy and
snowy trail, where but one could go at a
time. 1 feared that If we tried to go down
they would make rush and push us over
the precipice. 1t was fifty against seven
(two having gone on with the chlldren)
After considering a moment l ordered all
to adavnce ard drive them back We did
so, and after some scuftiing the Indians
wavered and fell back to their village. We
then turned and quietly proceeded down
TO the school.
Children Sent Voluntarily.
THAT afternoon I sent the ten children
to Keams Canyon. and the next day 1 Sc