Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-30

a 0OWHERE throughout the United
lMU States has there been more
Nj satisfactory response to the
q " governments request to SOW.
till, harvest and conserve the fruits of
the earth than among the 100000 In
dams, to whom the call went week
after President Wilson's proclama ton
Of war last spring.
Everywhere throughout the United
States Indian women are periodically
and effectively responding to our ma
tion-wide campaign for home better
ments and increased food production"
said Mr. Cato Sells. commissioner of
Indian affairs. in a recent talk.
Our vocational school system has
equipped the younger generation of
Indian girls in domestic science and
domestic arts. They have been edu-
Gated in home sanitation. ventilation
and personal hygiene
The commissioner caller picked up
from a nearby ia BILE something which
resembled a small woven mat of pun
gent-smellins plant material of rich
golden tints Can you guess what it
isT queried the commissioner. His
visitor could not There is an inter-
esting story behind that product" he
declared. .'and you may have it from
the proper source"
The proper source appeared in the
person OF Mrs. Wilma G. Rhodes,
special supervisor Of work among the
Indian women for the Office of Indian
affairs. Mrs. Rhodes has recently re-
turned from q season of work among
the Indian women and girls, and she
Immediately explained the mat ma
terial being nothing more nor less
than pumpkin, which had been cut in
long strips, dried and preserved for
future use In this attractive braid form
by the Indian women.
The Indians have food conservation
down TO . fine point" said Mrs Rhodes.
and they are splen6idiy fulfilling the
comm iss toner's n1essag e. Almost every
where my work took me during the
past season I found the Indian barns
and homes hlled as never before with
food and forage.
The women and girls of the reser-
vations have canned and dried accord
ing to the scientific methods advocated
by the government 1t is strange
thing, but / believe that there is di-
rect evidence of atavism in the inge-
nuity they have displayed in the mat
ter OF drying. This very mat Of golden
pumpkin is an example That product
when soaked and cooked will taste as
fresh and sweet as the newly harvest
ed fruit. Their dried corn is the very
finest product of it's kind have seen
anywhere PerhapS you know that tho
Indians In ages past dried their vege-
tables and fruits for winter storing.
There IS little doubt in my mind but
that the women and girls of today have
returned 70 this method of conservation
as TO a lost art.
The field matrons and teachers at the
Indian reservations are inspiring the
Indian girls to improve their methods
OF home work. They are now receiving
instruction in modern methods of do
mestic science and domestic art. They
are being taught sanitation. personal
hygiene. cooking and correct dressin g
and every practical lesson In whole
some and progressive dom estfc life
The girls return to their homes and in
the Majority of cases the mothers take
an interest in the progressive methods
OF their children and are glad to co.
operate with their daughters in i'm
proving heir homes and surroundings
Nowhere IN the United States have
seen more advanced methods of bust
ness education than in the Has
kell school at Lawrence. Kan
This is the most complete cours,
given the Indian boys and girl
in the Enitd States. In their type
the stereo;yped banging habit, thei
typewrtine exercises are done in regu
lar time 20 the accompaniment of ;
march tune played on a monograph
n has improved the touch and system
81 operation wonderfully.
1t has been said that the Indian