Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-11-30
FOR INDIAN YOUTHS
Better School Facilities Advo-
Gated in Board Report.
CONGRESS ASKED TO AID
Commissioners Say the Navajo Tribe
Is Greatly in Need of
Education.

Continuance of the policy of enrolling
Indian children in the pubic schools as
fast as local conditions permit is again
advocated by the board of Indian COM
m1ssloners. In the report of the COM
mlssloners. just mado to the Secretary of
the Interior, the subject of education for
the Indians who are wards of the govern
ment is discussed.
Among restricted Indians who dwell in
the lands of the Five Civilized Tribes
without sharing their autonomy. there
are many full-blooded Indian children
whose education offers a problem. At
present comparatively small number
attend school. partly because the infre-
quent public institutions are out of reach
and partly because, where such schools
are available, the Indian children are
often unwelcome and their attendance is
made as uncomfortable as possible.
1t would be greatly to the interest of
these Indians, says the report, if tinan
cial aid could properly be given by Con-
in the region occupied by the restricted
Indians d system of public schools ade
quate for the entire school population
and freely open to all Indian children
Unless the Indian children are well edu-
Gated. declare the commissioners, there
is little hope for them in the future.
Children on Reservations.
There are some 5000 Navajo children
on reservations in New Mexico and Ari-
iona who are still without adequate edu-
cational facilities The nomadic habits
of the Navajos render difficult attempts
to devise an adequate system of schools
for them, Notwithstanding the pledge of
the United States in the treaty of 1868
The commissioners hold the opinion
that the school problem must be con-
eventually establish the Navajos in
homes as permanent as is consistent with
the preservation Of their means Of self
support and their habits of industry. The
proposed congressional appropriation of
$50, OCO for schools adapted to the needs
of the Navajo children is Endorsed.
THE responsibility of allowing 5000
fine specimens on Indian youth to grow
up without education is a heavy one,
says the report.
Regarding lack of educational facilities
among the restricted full blooded Indians
in the Five Civilized Tribes, one Of the
commissioners, George Vaux, jr., re-
ported to the board the result of his trip
into Oklahoma.
Conditions in Oklahoma.
He says:
Their little cabins usually contain one
or two rooms. and, with no school ia
cflities for miles, 1 cannot see that
there is much hope for. them for the
future. There are practically no day
schools conducted by the government for
the Indians in this region. and where
district schools are available, geograph-
ically, the young Indians find themselves
anything but welcome and rarely if ever
attend. This is not to be wondered at,
for one or two large and possibly stupid
boys, with only the most rudimentary
knowledge of English. are certainly not
desirable scholars in any class.
yet there are many thousands such
growing up in eastern Oklahoma today.
Not infrequently they are really rich. for
in addition to their homesteads they have
surplus allotments, the rentals of which
from oil. natural gas, or coal in some
instances amount to figures which run
from $1,000 to S2O.GoO year.
II can see no hopeful outlook for the
failure of these people, save only in the
creation among them of an efficient school
system. How this is to be done raises
serious problems.
In view of the large amount of nom
taxable Indian lands, when Oklahoma
was admitted as a state five years ago
the government made it large grants to
be used for educational purposes. 1t may
be that this accounts for the eXtrava-
CANT schoolhouses which are evident in
some parts of the state.
1T is natural for Congress to say that
Oklahoma should now look after the edu-
cational situation i'm large measure, but
Oklahoma is not doing SO as respects
these Indians. With the recent decision
of the Supreme Court of the United
States. by which large amounts of In
dian lands still remain untaxable. the
prospect for Oklahoma doing anything is
very small. 1 would urge that the prob
lem be studied Immediately and a we'll
nd fa nile ha
evolved calculated to meet the conditions
broadly