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Image provided by: South Dakota State Historical Society – State Archives
Newspaper Page Text
schools where conditions positively justify doing so. This statement brings me to the point in this discussion which I should like to special ly emphasize. As I have already intimated, it is believed that the time has come in the history education when there should be an agreement if possible, between Federal and State authorities as to when the Federal Government will cease to provide educational facilities for the Indian child and when the State will assume the responsibility. There are hundreds of children of citizen Indians whose homes are within reach of the public schools, who are now attending In dian schools. At the same time there are hundreds, yes, thousands of Indian children without school privileges of any kind. This con dition of affairs naturally leads to the suggestion that the State should accept the responsibility of hereafter providing school facilities for those Indian children who belong to the citizen class. Personally, I would favor the plan of the Federal Government paying tuition for Indian children enrolled in public schools until such time as their parents' property becomes subject to taxation by one process or another. And just here I should like to say that I believe those Indians who have had the advantages of education and appreciate its value will, in every way possible, help to hasten the day when productive inherited land will be made subject to taxation. This will aid not only in supporting public schools in Indian country, but will also help in all public improvements of the communities in which the lands are located. The advantage will certainly be reciprocal, as development of the community interests i n general increases values. Our Indian population extends into 26 States of the Union, and in a few generations it will have peen largely blended with the citizen ship of these great Commonwealths. With these conditions in mind and with full and complete citizen ship and all of its privileges and duties as its ultimate end, our pre sent duty in educational matters for the Indian is not difficult to 11.