Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-12-13
INDIAN COED PLANS
TO HELP HER RACE.

MADISON, Wis, Dec. = Special. =
Believing that the conditions of caring
for the Indians on the Oneida reservation
by the government should be improved,
and inspired with zeal that their flu
ture lies in education, Miss Laura NJ.
Cornelius, an Indian girl, whose home is
in Seymour, is at the university as a
junior, preparing for her life's work.
4 am here at Wisconsin to interest
the well known professors of sociology
at the university i'll the settlement of
the Oneida" said Miss Cornelius, in dis
cussing her plans. I'VE need an agricul
tural experiment station, organization of
industry, and a township organization.
Our school system needs reorganization
Our education of the children is being
reduced to institutionaIism; the work
is not being done by real teachers. The
superintendent generally are not college
bred men, condition which unfortunate
ly exists at most of the Indian reserva-
tions.
Start with Oneidas.
81 intend to begin at the Oneida reser-
walton, where | am the most familiar
with conditions, and what [ accomplish
there l shall repeat wherever Indians
have land tenure. | am neither a mis-
sionary nor a philanthropist. | like any
constructive work, and it because of this
fact, together with the feeling in me
that I should advance the interests of
my people, that [ have begun this task
THE Indian reservation system is
rank to the core. People never can ex-
pect any civilization to come from it.
| would reOrganize them, not as reser-
vations. but as modified bodies polite,
compromise between the reservation
and American citizenship. | would not
grant the Indians complete citizenship
because they must come prepared to re-
ceive it; otherwise they will lose what
they have.
Hopes for Dairy Farms.
Gas for the organization of industry
which [ consider the most essential, |
hope to see great dairy industry built
up at the Oneida reservation and | ex-
pect the cooperation Of the university
in my efforts to firmly establish such an
industry.
by sending settlement workers
among the Indians, giving lantern slide
lectures on agriculture and dairy sub
iects and generally trying to interest
them in the better life. | believe that an
organization of industry may be effected
at the Oneida reservation in a short
time.
In Need of Money.
"The third step which l advocate to
improve conditions is the establishment
of local banks at each of the Indian
reservations, so that money may be
placed in circulation, as the Indian ma
tons need money badly. My idea is
to secure the consent Of the government
to have the principal of the Indian land
fund paid over to the banks. Up to this
time only the interest on the fund has
been paid out. In this manner money
which might be used advantageously has
not been circulated"
Miss Cornelius has completed two
years Of work at Barnard college, the
women's college Of Columbia university
at New York. where a large portion of
her time was devoted to the study of
anthropOogy under the celebrated DR..
Boaz. Before entering Barnard, Miss
Cornelius spent a semester at Leland
Stanford university. California. Her
preliminary education was received at
Grafton hall. Fond du Lac.