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Show 338 REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF INDIAN SCHOOLS. work to Statecontrol. Unfortunately, however, even in these instauces State otlicials. as well as the neonle of these States. still labor largelv under t l ~ oi ~ n ~ r e s tsh~ato t~l~~iI nilianna re fi,reigne"s rather than :,it!- z e ~ ~nsu,d that tl~eentirerespo~~sibiliotf yt his ~rurlcr ests upon tLeGen-era1 i3overl1meut. . In some illstances the inditference which such a state of feeling would naturally bring about has developetl eve11 into actual antagonism not only againsttl~eIu dia,ns but also against the Gover~~meonfti cials who have charge of the Indian mork. I aln to111 that minor courts under State authority have allowed themselees to be used to protect India~is against punishment for misdemeanors, and that in some instances State guardians of publiumorals havepermitted Indian citizens to tran~gress against the marriage laws of the State and to indulge in many uulam-f111 practices without any effort on their part to abate these evils. There is also iu certain localities a decided nnwillingne~s to admit Indian children to the nublic schools attended bv white cl~ildren: and nowhere have I found i i~lal plwecistiou of the fret thnt uudrr c6rt:lin eon~litionsi t might Ibeeome i1ecmn;iry fcor t l ~ eS tate to continue 1l1o snecific Indian sel~oolvt i~lri ~nire~i)el riodn of r in~1r1 11titlh e in~li;rl!1~o1 11e shall reasonably resemble in spirit and make-up the home of the mhite settler. In my endeavors to secure the cooperation of State superintendents of instruction I have met with hearty response from the States of Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Biiunesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa, and I believe that i t will be possible in lr~osot f ttiese 8tates to transfer the mork of Iudian education to the State autliorities within a comparati~ely8 hort period. In some of these States I am infor~ued that the subject will be submitted to the State legislnt~~rewsi thin the near f-ntnr~e-., a r~~ctll ~iat e~ffort~s wil-l be made to secure suitable measures ~~ ~~ ~ looking to such transfer. In the State of Washington even now it would be possible to abandon some of the Indian schods 11ow under Gover~rme~~tcontmroidl to turn the Indian children over to the ordinary sohool facilities provided by the State. In the States of Oregon and' California n groat nnmber of Indians now attending Indian schools could, without hardship either to themselves or to the school distriutsiu which they live, be educated in the State district schools. There seems to be no good reason why the Chippewas, Meuomonees, Oneidas, Stockbridges of Wiscorlsin, the great majority of the Indians of Michigan, the Chippewas of Minnesota, the Sac and Fox Il~dianso f Iowa, the Omahas and Winnebagos, the Santees of Nebraska, the Pot. tawatomies and Eickapoos of Kansas, the Cherokees of North Caro. lina, and others shonld not be cared for, so far as their educational needs are concerned, by the States in which they live. Iu most of these cases the Indians are self-supporting and fairly ready to live under the same laws with other citizens of the States. In many instances, in which Indians ready for citizenship do not pay taxes, suf-fieieut fun& are provided for by annuities or otherrise to reimburse the State or county for whatever necessary expenses the care and educa. tion of the Indiaus may demand. In several individual instances I am now prepared to make definite proposals in this matter. I am fully aware that the States can not be compelled to undertake this work, but I am encouraged to believe that by following up steps taken in this direction the people and legislatures of the States within a comparatively short time will be brought to see that their own inter. eats demand this transfer of responsibility and will ask (:ongress to |
