The Indian advocate., February 01, 1902, Page 34, Image 2

About The Indian advocate. ([Sacred Heart, Okla.]) 1???-1910

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34
Tun Indian Advocate.
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. That the Government has made a -mess of it in attempt
ing to educate the Indian children with a view to civilizing
them is the conclusion reached by the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs, as set forth in his- annual report' to Congress. We
learn from that report that there are 113 boarding schools for
the Indians, with an average attendance of something over
16,000 pupils ranging from 5 to 21 years of age, who have
been brought together from the cabin and the tepee. Educa
tion, to be of any value to these children of parents who are
emerging from the nomad state, should be of a character to
make them self-reliant and self-supporting. The training
these young Indians receive has just the opposite effect. It
makes them dependent and leaves undeveloped whatever nat
ural abilities they may possess for wrestling with the difficul
ties with which they will have to contend later on in life.
We cannot better describe the wrong done the Indian
youth under the guise of kindness than by quoting from Com
missioner Jones', report. Here is his description of the way
the Indian lad. is trained for roughing it later, on in life:
"The Indian youth finds himself at once, as if by magic,
translated from a state of poverty to one of affluence. He is
well fed and clothed and lodged. Books and all the accesso
ries of learning are given him and teachers provided to in
struct him. Matrons wait on him while he is well, and phy
sicians and nurses attend him when he is sick. A steam laun
dry does his -washing, and the latest modern appliances do his
cooking. A library affords him relaxation- for his leisure
hours, athletic sports and the gymnasium furnish him exer
cise and recreation, while music entertains him in the even
ing. He has hot and cold baths and steam heat and electric
ft 3
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