The Tomahawk., 1919-08-28

AChuO"lcUR0. IcCclpU VI IulS
leaflet and paste it opposite page
4 IF the Indian School Rules.
CATO SELLS,
Commissioner.
Approved: July 30, 1919.
$. G. HOPKINS,
Assistant Secretary.
Office Circular.
To all Superintendents: J.
The accompanying amendments
to toe School Rules restricting en-
rollment of pupils to those who are
under Federal supervision demand
more than passing notice. For sew
eral years attempts nave been made
to eliminate from the Indian schools
pupils whose parents are citizens,
particularly those possessing only
small degree of Indian blood. Not
withstanding past efforts in this re
spect, there are still enrolled in
many Of our Indian schools a large
number Of near-whi:es. In many
cases, these pupils live in towns or
in communities where there are at
least average'public school facilities
The justification usually given for
the enrolment of such pupils in
Government Indian schools is that
they wish to have the benefits of
the vocational training offered or
that the parents are poor and in
need of assistance. Superintenents
frequently accept such explanation
as satisfactory, provided the appli-
cant possess as much as one-fourth
Indian blood. Superintendents of
non reservation schools contend
that they must rely on the state
ments made by the reservation
superiutendents as to eligibility of
the pupil, but sometimes pupils are
first enrolled and the justification
for their enrolment supplied at a
later date. This is particularly true
as respects the enrolment of pupils
who are not living under the juris-
diction of a superintendent or
agency. Greater care must be ex-
ercised in this matter in the future
than has been practiced in the past.
In order to carry out the require
ments of these rules. there must be
the closest cooperation between the
superintendents of reservation and
non-reservation schools. Reserva-
tion superintendents should not ap
prove applications of pupils unless
they have definite information re-
gardlng them and have satisfied
themselves that without Govern
ment assistance the pupils would be
deprived of school privileges. 1t is
not sufficient justification that
child would be better off in a Gov
ernment school or that it would be
desirable for. such child to have
vocational training, but the ques-
ton should be docs the Indian
boy or girl nave the same school
privileges in the community in
which he or she lives that other
children enjoys" If they do there
can be no real justification for the
enrolment of such boy or girl in =
Government school, except posi-
bly, in rare instances where other
factors enter which might justify
waving the rules. Furthermore,
where the Indian children are en-
titled under State law to attend its
public schools, it should be first
sscertaiped whether there are good
and suficient reasons for their not
80 attending before they are re-
ceHed in . Government school.
In all such cases the application
should be first forwarded to my
Office, accompanied by full state
ment of the facts, and the appli
cant should not be admitted to the
school until the approved applica-
ton has been returned to you. 1t
may be necessary to make excep-
tion for full-bloods or in case of
some special classes of Indians who
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