The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-01-14

during the last 10 years has been
greater than in any similar period, He
has advanced In civilization and ae-
ouired working knowledge OF var
ious arts and industries which help To
provide for his maintenance. Twenty
five per cent more Indians are self
supporting that 10 years ago; more
than this number speak enough Eng
lish for ordinary purposes, and there
are no idle tribes"
Thus Katherine Louise Smith, in an
article on the present industrial status
of the Indian in The Progress Maya
zine summarizes the progress which
has been made by the dusky charges
OF the federal government i'm the im-
mediate past. The writer affirms that
the red men are now engaged in lum-
bering. mining. working on railroads,
digging irrigation bitches, and that
many OF them have adopted the at
tire of civilization. 10 which familiari-
" has gradually reconciled them. The
Indian has also engaged TO some eX-
tent i'm the so-called learned profess
sions, but his natural distaste for
sedentary occupations has kept him
for the most part i'm the open. AS a
farmer he has shown. according to the
writer, both industry and a natural
aptitude.
After considering briefly the work
accomplished at Carlisle the author
turns to the Hampton institute of Vir-
ginia, which is less well known TO the
world.
1T is n farm school, she says, "and
the whole system of education centers
in that fact. Boys and girls both work
out of doors. The latter are instructed
i'm farm training. dairying and poul-
try raising. besides doing their share
of planting hoeing and wedding.
Marketable produce is raised that the
pupils may understand how farming
can be made to pay. The girls learn
to cook, wash, iron and make family
raiment, and in the trade schools the
boys are busy with the leading mech
anical trades. Forty eight or more In
dian boys take this course and learn
bricklaying. woodturning bench work
and tinsmithing. All this is i'm line
with this schools idea that the abili-
~ to obtain food. shelter and clothing
Is of fundamental Importance.
"The girls are also instructed how
to make soap, whitewash, make mat
tresses and cane chairs Special class
1T. II. .t,.f..
where they learn basketry, pottery,
rug and blanket weaving and pillow
lace making. This last has been
taught with the hope that it will grow
into a permanent industry when they
return home. Cherokee pottery making
is taught by Cherokee Indian, and Al
new feature is the singing of Indian
tribal songs by children that they
may learn that race inheritance is of
value. Some of the young women
who graduate engage in school teach
ing. but post graduate courses are
given in agricultural, business, domes-
tic science, library. methods and mat
ron's work."
OF the educational work Of the nu-
merous Indian schools situated i'm the
west and southwest the author says:
Every one of the 20 schools, situat-
ed i'm Arizona. Colorado, Idaho. Msr
tana, Nebraska. New Mexico. oregon,
Washington and the eastern states, re-
port young mon and women who are
making a success after graduating.
one graduate of Carlisle became vice
president of bank i'm Oklahoma. An
other is a bookkeeper. Many are
teachers, farmers, section bosses on
railroads and blacksmiths. Most of the
students from the oneida, Wis, school
are farmers. A mayor Of "a Nebraska
town was a graduate of Hampton and
lawyer of prominence, and another
student from the same school is a
teacher, surveyor, farmer and depart
ment clerk. Other Indians, especially
on the Pacific coast, work in factories
and hop fields. Ia outdoor work The
Indian cannot be excelled. and the Big
Horn irrigating canal. on the Cree re-
servation. was almost entirely built by
them Others, from the Santa Fe
school, are employed on the railroad"
one of the most interesting develop
ments Of recent educational programs
among the Indians is thus referred to-.