Show AN INDIAN SCHOOL description el advantages educational cat ional and industrial given indian youth chicago june 29 whenever you can get enough to an in dinn shoot him were alio words of a gentleman yesterday a member of many years standing noted tor his activity iu christian work if this gentleman whose opinion of indian character has been formed without any actual with the race had enjoyed 1 visit to alic nantce normal training school he would not have given utterance to such a brutal remark this indian school of which the rev alfred L higgs is principal near the agency in the northeast corner of nebraska it is well worth a visit from any one interested in education especially from anny one to the indian question is a vexed problem could the legislators alio have alic solution of this problem thrust upon them could the officers whose duty it is to recommend n policy concerning hie aborigines be induced to devote a few dilys to a careful study of this school or any similar school this lion would become clear when I 1 say n similar chool I 1 do bot mean the indian schools at II ampton and carlisle which differ radically from the santee school though to the casual observer the only difference bo the superior equipment of the no better known institutions mr biggs believes and few men arc ns well qualified to judge that indians are controlled by a fatalistic religious philosophy from not liing but true religion can liberate them education and civilization arc of use only as instruments of he gospel our aim is to bring everything into a religious atmosphere and ninke christianity Christiani tl the ruling power of life in this aim sir biggs lias succeeded to a remarkable alic atmosphere of his school is eminently christian the decorum which prevails in lie in alic school in alie homes of alic boys and girls on the playgrounds play grounds is not a it is an fulward manifestation of a christian spirit I 1 am prepared now to believe mr when he says V c confidently expect our pupils to become in one way or another missionaries of alie new life they find nor arc this after capi the object of the dantec santec is the regeneration of alie sioux by fitting members of alie tribe to become the agents in alie accomplishment of aliis work therefore alic pupils arc taught the fai glish language they arc also carefully trained in their vernacular aliat they may tench their own people 31 r avoids alic folly of attempting to convert alic indian into a man the industrial feature has n prominent place in alic dantec santec idea of indian education in n certain sense industrial training is at alic very foundation of our worl T nol incidents aps fant accidental but to our theory of education we regard manual training and industrial occupations as alie best means for that discipline of mind and will which give alic fiber of high moral character the industries of the arc various consisting principally of for the boys and girls and for the boys only carpentry blacksmithing and farming under alic competent in the pupils lake care of their own rooms and cook their own food but the girls only but alic larger boys also arc taught the art of bread making alio writer saw an indgin boy making bread and having eaten from a loaf made by another indian boy lie can testify to their skill the washing is done by indian women alie pupils iron their own clothes the girls am plain sewing alic writer was particularly impressed with the excellent character of the blacksmithing the cupili were making chains clevises clevi ses staples rings tongs and other useful many of would do credit to an experienced alic iron work of these indian boys limited in variety owing to the scanty equipment of eliop compares favorably with that of alic bait industrial schools in alic united states of it may be inspected at the writers by alie chicago readers of alic alist alic sontee docs not aim to make finished mechanics or specialists As alic boys will ably become banners fan ners alicy are taught bilings which a farmer frequently needs to kaow to make or mend a chair to repair n wagon or a to mend harness to do plain carpentry etc hut may lie called philosophical as well as industrial for alic indians regard alio force of nature as of hie power of the supreme acing and themselves as alic victims of fate alio wisdom of giving them the ability to at least some of the material forces luicir servants is apparent i the permanent valmi of alii education was made sin pi stingly evident to meas with my wife I 1 visited alir callins of the indians on alic reservation alie contrast between tho indians and alir older people ii i i marked although tl c hiiva aled to alic of aliu former lor instance dmd old whom c at her anil found scaled in hi inning herself did not disc at our grunted glicr salutation isail when she consented to liow us the interior of glicr hc apologized apologised it biad not been swept aliat day air biggs that lie con iiii gifun failure if liu falt that aliu c of alic chuo ans con lined to its he saya our best hopes have been realized realised reali sed in alie number of our pupils alio arc 01 have been engaged in responsible positions ns teachers preachers or government clerks lint still more than this we faud our success in the revolution which hai taken place in alic indian mind keck ing for educational advantages II 11 inter |