Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-12-06

NIHe IolloWlnS article was READ
by Reuben Perry. superintendent
of the Albuquerque Indian school,
the weekly university assembly
Friday.
New Mexico has about as large
an educational problem before 1t
for the Indian as any state in the
nnion. The Indian population of
the state is 25.5Sl, 1000 Of whom
nre able to read and write. leaving
1851 illiterates.
1.-THE government schools, to-
gether with the church schools, are
able to take care Of 1876 pupils out
of an eligible population Of S,044
children between the ages Of g. and
IS years. leaving 4,46S eligible
children, sound physically and
mentally, without any school facil-
tiles. 1t would take nine schools
of the capacity of the Albuquerque
Indian school to take care of these
children.
1T seems to me that it should be
taken care of as far as possible by
erecting boarding schools on the
Navajo reservation at points where
sufficient water can be developed
for school purposes. The day
schools among the Pueblos should
be enlarged and new ones erected
where necessary. The Santa Fe
and Albuquerque schools should be
doubled In capacity to take care OF
advanced pupils. As soon as the
war department decides that it has
no further use for Fort Wingate
the fort should be converted into
large Indian training school for
Navajo Indians. BY following this
program large per cent Of the
children new out of school could
be accommodated.
Action May Be Taken,
The congressional committee
who visited the schools and reser-
vations in New Mexico last spring
is very favorably inclined toward
furnishing increased school capac-
ity in New Mexico. Congressman
Hernandez tells me that he be-
lieves the means will be provided
for doubling the capacity of the
Santa Fe and Albuquerque schools.
Some difficulty attends sending
New Mexico. Indians to eastern
Indian schools on account of the
climatic conditions obtaining there.
The Indians of the southwest, es-
pecially those in New Mexico and
eastern Arizona require dry eli
mate with q considerable altitude.
'Indian Education"
Tho primary object of educa-
ton is to prepare the individuals
to be worthy citizens and to live
happy and useful lives. Indian
education requires more. 1t must
enable the Indian to acquire citi-
zenship and then prepare him to
be a worthy citizen and qualify |
him to compete in the activities of |
life.
citizenship for the Indian can
not be obtained, or attained, as II |
can fera white, person. It was |
thought by some that the four |
teenth amendment adopted in 1858
would give the Indian citizenship |
and enfranehise him as it did the |
negro, but it was tested in the SUI
preme court of the United States |
and that court decided that it did |
not give those rights and privileges |
TO the Indian.
1.-THE Indian population of the
United States today is 333,703. The
Five Civilized Tribes have a popu-
1ation of 101,506. Exclusive of the
Five Civilized Tribes there are
232,196. The Indian schools of the
States are divided into
three classes.
Classes of Schools.
The day schools are located In
ha |
homes of the Indians. 1t compares
very favorably with the public dis
trict school. The function of the
day school is to enroll beginners
and complete the third or fourth
grade and prepare them to enter
-he reservation or nom reservation
boarding school
1.-THE second class is the reserva-
ion boarding school. 1t overlaps
.he work of the day school and re-
elves day school pupils who have
inished the third grade, or even
beginners, and its province is to
over the sixth grade.
"Then we have the non-reserva-
ion boarding, or training schools.
some of these schools will take be-
,inners and day and reservation
boarding school pupils, and COM
,lete the eight grade. Other of the
schools, like the Albuquer-
ue Indian school, take any pupils
Who have finished the third grade
nd complete the course to and in
luding the tenth grade.
During the fiscal year 1919, &c.
25 Indian pupils were enrolled in
hese three classes of schools;
.543 were enrolled in mission day
nd boarding schools and private
chools; while 29,021 Indian pupils
tended the public schools of the
ountry. The United States is
perating 1877 day schools, sixty
our reservation boarding schools,
nd twenty non reservation board
4,.r