The Tomahawk., 1919-08-28
Eastern Cherokees of North Caro-
lima, or the Choctaws Of Mississip

Eastern CherOkees of North Caro-
lima, or the Choctaws Of Mississip.
pi. = :''s
The children of Indians who have
received t!:eir patents in fee to their
allotments are to be excluded from
enrolment in Government school
supported from gratuity approp:i-
atlons unless in a given case the
Indian child should be a Federal
ward, irrespective of the status of
the parents. You are directed to
accept hereafter no Indian pupil
of the classes indicated, and to take
steps to eliminate such pupils from
your present enrolment at the end
of the school year or at the end of
the definite term of enrolment of
each such pupil. If doubt exists rs
to the status of any pupil or any
applicant, such case accompanied
by all attendant facts and informa-
ton must be presented to me for a
decision. Responsibility for elm
ination from the schools of non
ward citizen Indian children rests
upon the superintendent. Inspec-
tion officials are hereby instructed
to make, at each school they visit.
careful investigation of the eligi-
bility of the pupils enrolled and re-
port to me all violations of the
school rules and of these instruc-
tions. Superintendents who negli-
gently permit or approve the en-
rollment of ineligible pupils in
Government Indian schools will be
held personally responsible. 1t
follows, therefore, that the utmost
care must hereafter be exercised.
both by the reservation superin-
tendent and by the non reservation
superintendent, in order effectively
to enforce these rules. -
~. Frequently ,pupias>in the prevo-
cational grades have been trans
ferred at Government expense to
schools located at a great distance
from their homes when the only
justification for such transfer WAS
the wish of the pupil or parent, or
the desire of an employe to take a
trip rs escort at Government ex-
pense. This practice must be dis.
continued. No pupil will hereafter
be transferred to = distant school
or accepted for enrolment in a non
reservation school until he has
completed the highest grade in the
reservation school, except IN cases
where the reservation school is
over crowded, and then as a rule
such pupil should be sent to the
non-reservation school nearest his
home. Specific authority must be
obtained for any deviation from
this rule and only in very special
cases will authority be granted to
pay transportation of pupils in the
prevocational gradef to other than
non-reservatiOn schools nearest
their homes.
1 wish to again impress upon
superintendent, and particularly
upon reservation superintendents,
the importance of giving special
attention to the matter of requir-
ing Indians who are financially able
to do so to contribute more toward
defrsying the expenses of the edu-
cation of their children. Where
parents or pupils have sufficient
incomes of their own, they must
hereafter be required to bear all or
a part of the cost of their educa.
tion. More and more Indians must
be taught and required to rely on
their own resources and to depend
less and less upon the Government.
The purpose of this circular and
the amendments herewith should be
made generally known both to
pupils in schools and to their par
ents and guardians. l regard this
IS an important matter and in d.
rect line with the Declaration of
Policy, promulgated April II, 1917
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