The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-07-12
EDUCATIONAL COOPERATION.


 Expressions from time to time by officials or the Educational Division of the Federal Indian Serv- ice make it apparent that its chief aim so far as Alaska is concerned is consolidation Of the Federal system that is charged with the education of ln- dans and Eskimos in Alaska, and the IerrlVorlal public school system. Of course, the term useo oy them just now is cooperation, but no one can ooupI indeed it is frankly admitted that unification into one system under a single control and that Terri toral is the goal that has been set
 Theoretically, it must be conceded that the pre- ponderance of argument is on the side Of the Indian Service experts But here in many fields besides education there is wide gulf between theoretcal and practical application And if the Federal Gov ernment approaches this issue with fixed program in mind it is sure to be frustrated since, after a it cannot give the Territory responsibility admit tedly it's own without the consent of the latter
 Two years ago the Indian Service knew of AL aska's educational problems only by hearsay And with all due regard to it, nothing has Tanspred since then except the formal transfer Of the Federal Governments educational activities here from the Office of Education the Indian Service to augment it's original knowledge. It would seem the part of wisdom for the Service to first take stock of the institutions and responsibilities it has inherited be- fore undertaking to shift executive control over their charges to another organization purely local in character.
 There are such problems as sanitation in the homes as well personal hygiene, health Of adults and children and others equally as grave, all Of which the Service cannot as yet have had time to analyze. Some solution must be arrived at for all of them before the Territory can consider unifca- tion that does not at the same time call for con- tinued segregation of the It is segregation more than any thing else that the Service desires
 
 races progress more rapidly when mixed with whites than they do alone.
 The promise Of Federal aid, in the shape of financial reimbursements to the Territory in return for uncation of the schools is not alluring enough to cause the Territory to ignore the health ano sanitation problems Nor Alaskans be criticised very severely they view Federal promises of money grants with good deal of skepticism. Too ofter have they spent Territorial money derived iron taxation on the strength of such promises on to have them broken
 Hundreds of Indian pupils are receiving education in the Territorial schools at the expense of tn Territory without a dimes cooperation from tn Federal Government In similar instances in tn States tuition fee is paid to the schools by tn Indian Service Alaska has been told it cannot ge
 cent for that purpose If the Service really desire to bring about close harmony in educational admin istration in the Territory, It Will tlrSt pend Il whole efforts toward correcting of these incon sstencies thus proving its good faith in the premise before trying to induce the Territory to take ove any of the schools operated by the Federal Gov ernment Unificaton, it must be realized at tn outset can come only through process of gradui ! attrition and the first step is necessarily tn medication in both parties of spirit of confident in the honesty of purpose and good faith of or another
 There are many Indian communities, son authorities place it as high 25 or 30, in flask each with minimum school population of 25, ar many more under that figure, that have no school Lack of funds is justification for this gap in u Federal system That does not encourage the Ter tory to enter into any present agreement to tai over functions of the Service. If the Service cam obtain money from Congress to establish needt schools for itself it is not reasonable to believe can pursuade it to appropriate funds for the Terr tory to expend Certainly Alaska cannot afford augment it's own expenditures for schools to remec the defect.
 Thus. it seems not unreasonable to suggest tn the Indian Service first clean it's own house. enfor rigid health standard through constant medic inspection and examination weed out the individus whose physical ailments are menace to those normal health; hosptalize the unwell; through son sort of efficient home service bring about mo sanitary mode of living in the homes and raise u standard of personal hygiene; establish schools whe the pupil population is sufficient to justify it; pla the Territory on a par with the several States i the matter of reimbursement for expenditures mad for the education of those whose duty it is for tt