OCR Text |
Show be im roved. We believe it shonld be made the prime factor. "The common ech& are the hope of our counhy," whether the inhabitsnts of that conntry he whlte or red. The p&pose of all edncatiou is to strengthen the inatitntional life of the com-mnnity. The Indian has a stronger recard for his home than for anv other msktn-tion. Then why not pnrsue a pedagogical wurp, take advantage of this little heginning;and implant around it the other elements that will make the pupil a useful citizen? The worst savage will lose somethine which the beat e~ou.in. ned. ~ ~ irrstitntlon in our land can norreplnco ~f taken from hi? home in hid iufanry. Let nn not drag the child away frutn all ho ha^. hut rather tako what we have to him. therenooriah tho tender shoot. nlunt nthnr seed. and aft,.? n while. when tlna ~ ~ - ~ ~ ~ - ~ ~.~-.- .. .-- proper time comes, he will gladly go of his own free will to seek further knowl-d g e wherever it may be found. This is the work of the day school-to o into the ssvage camp; to further the ohild's love for hls home and the pa1wnts9i%ve for their chtld; toimprove that home as well as all its occupants. Insignificant as this work mav seem. the Indian can not see tnc teacher und his family go ubour their work i ~ir regolnr way, kwping themael\.en an.1 their hone,: in order, coltivating their little ganlm, milking thew cows,nnpug bt.lle,unal doinge thousand thinyson time, without himaelf .il~s,,rhing eon10 of their re~ulnrity. Ho hlrn+-lf mnRt nseand prepare hi3 me& ar a cprriiin tiluo,that hiach~ldm ay not 1,elatoat n<:hool. He lnnst have a tixed hahitatton tor at rCn6t ten mouth6 in tllr ~ ~ 3 1A.ll thih will avento.%llyc ause hino to fornl more regolar habits of 11vinga t~dgi ve hinl Rowerorlception oi the value of nme, conntcr-act somo oi llis lazinoss.~ncl atnrt him on the road r.,<!ivilization. The d~y-tich~~ol homt: is to the Indiau cam" what a mouel farm is to an a~riculturn<l ornrnlrnir\.i n ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~- ~~ ~~.:~-~-- .- the midst of which it maybe ~laced. If Dro~erlrw ndncted. lt lncitea the Indian to emnlata the c:ran~pleC onstantly set befor; him. B I I ~th e greatest inrlnencc is on thu young: the child is taught the English laugnage. hiseducation is begun. he iamada to work, to krrlo (.lrrtn. uutll tin;lll.v. when hc is rendr tu go to a higher schoul. heJocs these t l ~ ~ ntnns~ mfo rceof habit or from urcallrdriua < f tlreir \.slur. In the preparation ui this paper I hnvu consulted over thirtr men wht, htn.e had Ycarsof esoericoea i t r rha Indian scltool servico. Thes h~v.:sll hrld nositiotw ~ ~~~~ . . ..-- in both boardl'ng and day schools. Some are now superintendents of hoarding schools. When asked if they would affirm or deny this proposition, "Resolved, That the reservation day school shonld bemade the prime factor in Indian edu-cation," all but two affirmed. Sumn of the argunieura giwn in support of the continuance of the day school weN that as early lmpressi..ns are laring, one need nor rxprct to force the child to belierrr that all the te;rclrlncs and roractians of his narents tan. wruna-.. ~irrre ~~ ~ - - the pdrenr hnn so ~n~urlhnr luence oveithe child. We ~ ; ~ aretac h theho!no. aud thie c.tn ho~bt e d11110 toro~tght he day school. I t is the only school that la dolng ofle<.lirrw wk in c a r r 5 . i ~c~is iliratiou to che Indian home. Tha ahrmse i t , t k u , , ~ ~ ~~ ~~ mo~niug. dirty. perhhps, but Ghen tlrcy roturn of an eruning they are neat and clean. Thi6 unsr exert a great influence ior good at hotno. Some oi the hindrar .~, to effectivew ork in thu dav ~rhoolw ere lurk of atnmin- ~ ~~~~ ~~~~ " -.-.. ~ ~ -.-.. -..--r ment, insufficient buildings, the meager compensationof the patient housekeeper, ccolness on the part of government oEciaIa, and the language, cnstoms, end dreas of the Indians. In answer to the qnestion, "Which is the most effective. considerine the cost. tho day, hoarding,oinonmnervationechool~"alblu t three favored theday schohl: Soma rarurcd ir even though it8 rosr \sere donlded, andothersrentrivred its effect. iseness to children u n d ~ Ir!. One rep a a i d : ..Admitted that the boardingschoul will send h 0 m ~pu pils who \sill for a 3 art ttmespcak I ettar English, have a neater upl,oarauce.and know more aboot books than thaday-schcol pupil. admitted tlutt thn noure~ervatious chool will send home n.o~lish~ed a- n-d- =n n..r -h n- r.n s .r..-f -ir m-r -d - -* -t n- <- -le -n .t. , s we who have come in contact with the returned students know that nine-tenths of them are idle becanw the education tho ffovornmmt has given thom ca~ir .t be applied to aurthing the). find to do on the reservation. They ware mnght to wn ~ hlly atonm at school. but thev find uo aUum wilshera o- -r steam wr-i-n~e.~,v-c- -n--r-home." And so in many other reipeota theiridnoation has been on too large a scale. Findly, then, we will say that the more we have investi ated the more we are convinced that the day school is the school best adauted to t%e needs of the Indian. The nonreaervation schoul !nay fit hits to co~~lpetr.wltthlo~ white ha": Lut ;he will nr,r do this, lf hi, ail1 not stay irr the I.:.ast, n,o m~lsr lmpruva him where we tind him, and tit him for hie in h18 own home. |