Charlevoix county herald., 1916-08-04
INDIANS TRAINED
TO FORGET TRAITS
500 RED CHILDREN BEING TRAIN.
ED IN WAYS OF WHITES BY
GOVERNMENT
ARE SUPPORTED BY CONGRESS
Every Public Convenience Maintained
In School at Chlloceo, Ok.

Chilocco, Ok-At Chilocco, Ok, the
government Is endeavoring to efface
from the minds of Indian boys and
girls all memory Of their ancestors
primal traits. This work has been In
progress since January, 1884.
The school Is known as the United
States Indian school and was founded
for the use of Indian children born
to members of the five civilized tribes.
Congressional appropriations support
lie school for all Indian children. No
tribal funds are diverted to support
the institution, and although children
born to members of the five civilized
tribes were not eligible as students
at the time the school was founded, no
Indian children are now barred be-
cause Of their tribal membership.
Practically every Indian tribe in the
United States Is now represented at
the school, the Oklahoma Indians
forming the majority of the students,
and the Cherokees predominant.
Chilocco, of about 500 inhabitants,
is isolated on a tract Of land embrac.
ing 8,640 acres owned by the govern.
ment and Immediately south Of the
Oklahoma Kansas boundary line. The
land is within Kay county.
When a visitor leaves the train at
Chilocco he looks toward the west
and there sees the only evidence OF
habitation. The group Of buildings
comprising the Chilocco Indian school
If silhouetted on the horizon, about
one and one half miles distant, though
because of several long swales In the
road leading to the school the distance
is very deceptive.
The principle buildings constructed
Of yellow limestone, stand on tree
less and wind swept prairie. With the
exception of the trees around the
group Of buildings, there Is scarcely
a tree to greet the eye at Chilocco.
The trees on the campus have the ap-
pearance of having been grown by
man.
The landscape artist and the archi-
tect who planned Chilocco Indian
School evidently intended that all
principle buildings composing the
group would be constructed around q
quadrangle, but the buildings have
overflowed the quad"
Those In charge of the school live IN
modest cottages between the campus
and the railroad station. On the walls
of their rooms hang pictures portray
ing much of the old Indian life. On the
walls Of the rooms in the dormitoriei
where the Indian boys and girls live
there Is but little to suggest the care
free life their ancestors lived.
Mr.. Schall explained that the policy
" the government is to keep from tie
eve and ear Of the Indian students ev
erything suggestive of the camp life
and the war path. The government
endeavors to bring to the eye and the
ear of the students everything sugges
tive of civilization.
Apparently those In charge OF the
school devote considerable attention
20 intoxicating refinement, cheerful
ness and politeness in the minds OF
the students. The Indian students at
Chilocco are not stoics. Their faces
are animated and a smile invariably
greets a visitor.
There are 535 students In the school
29O being boys. The boys are not Civ
en- military training. but they go thru
daily exercise re- milling the dis
mounted cavalry drill.
Periodically the boys and girls arc
permitted to go to Arkansas City, the
trip days being alternated, the boys
going one Saturday and the girls the
next.
All students have an opportunity to
attend religious services Of their own
choosing. The Ministerial Alliance Of
Arkansas City sends a minister to the
school each Sunday, and the priest at
Newkirk visits the school each Sun.
day.
There Is a strong Y. M. G. A. among
the male student body. and the meet
ings are well attended.
All the buildings are heated by
steam and the residences supplied
with gas from the Blackwell gas field
southwest Of the reservation.
The electric light plant and the wa
terworks system at Chilocco are OBJ
Grated by students, and the place has
a sewer system.
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