The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-01-10
PROFESSOR HENDRIX
TELLS EXPERIENCE
INDIANS OF FULL BLOOD TINT
DO NOT LIKE TO STUDY WITH
WHITE SCHOLARS. HE SAYS.

cran teachers who attended the re
cent meeting Of the State Teachers
association at Oklahoma City.
Mr. Hendrix has been teaching .
for twouty-eight years and is now at .
the head Of Bloomfield academy. a
government school attended by the I
ChickasaWs. near Colbert, Bryan
county.
when came to Ardmore and or
ganized the public schools of that
city ten years ago. there were 1,476
children Il school age In the city"
said Mr.. Hendrix. Most of them
had never been in school and edu.
catiOnal conditions there. as all over
the Indian Territory, were extremely
bad. There was no school property,
except that OF the government In
dian schools, there was but little
money and few teachers. During
the first year at Ardmore there were
over 500 pupils enrolled In the first
grade. Some of them, owing TO their
lack of opportunity, were almost
grown young men and women. over
nmety-tive per cent OF the pupils
there were below the high schol
grade and there were so few able
to pursue high school studies that
We had no high school during the
first year.
similar conditions prevail d at
Pauls Valley. Purcell. Muskogee. Win.
| ita and Wagner. all of which cities
! organized public school systems
about that time. IN the smaller
| towns there We're no schools except
| a few Of the old-fashioned private
| subscription schools. one by one
the different towns formed them
each had Il system of its own. but
| in the country district there were
no schools until after statehood.
We kept hammering away and
| things got better right along. In
! 1900 the Chickasaw Teachers asso.
| citation was formed. which included
| the city teachers of the old Chick.
| asaw Nation The association was 4
| success, but after the arrival of state
| hood was disorganized and all Joined
| the state Teachers association.
Prior To 1900 cur facilities for
/ education in Indian Territory were
only the private schools and about
| twenty-five Indian schools, each of
the latter having perhaps 100 In.
I dian pupils In "a few neighborhoods
there were private schools support.
ed by Indians. OF course. since state.
hood We have schools In every dis.
trict ana every child has chance
To attend. The progress and deyel.
opment have been almost marvellous.
Wa now have plenty OF teachers
and they ar" as vigorous and com.
eptcnt as those 10 be found any.
where.
The people of the east side, so
lCng denied these oppc rtunities. take
great pride in their schools and
are getting the best they can find
In the way OF equipment Every
district .ow has good school
house, and IN many the building Is
OF brick
"Thcr" used To be and still Is
good deal of red tape In connection
with the mdian schools Each cf
tho Indian nations of the Five Civ.
il,l,d tribes had control over its
own schools, but the department of
th" interior maintained one superin-
tcndcut and one supervisor for each
nation Since the dissolution q the
tribal governments in 1906 the de.
partmcn' of the interior has had
| exclusive control of tho Indian
schools
"rhc Chickasaw Nation has five
schools, Two FOR boys. two for girls
! ana rphans' home OF these Bloom.
| fed academy. located in the south.
/ east corner of Bryan county. was
/ iot years the artist, cratic school
/ e. lh" Chlckasaws. 1t was the pride
OF the nation and its most pop
ular school. II has a big fine build
/ NI, erected about 1886. and has
\ facilities tor caring for 100 girls.
I'm recent years there has been
a great deal more stress placed
upon domestic science and similar
useful branches. The schood has
| gradually grown less popular with
/ the Noalthier Indians. One-third OF
| the students now are full-bloods and
| the government seemingly intends to
/ make 1t ultimately 4 school solely
! for the ,.ducltio rf the flll-hLood