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Show 178 REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. The Episcopal Clmrch has sent out twelve teachers ; six of them being men and six women, besides eight or ten Indian teachers, five of whom are ministers. The Rev. G. A. Goodnongh is with the Oneidns; the Rev. S. 1). Hinman with the Santee Sioux; the Rev. I. W. Cook, with Mr. Robinson and Mr. Brooke, is on the Yankton reservation ; and the Rev. I. Owen Dorsey on the Pouca reservation ; Mrs. Hinman and Miss Leigh and Sister Anna, are with the San tees ; Miss West and Sister Elizabeth are with the Yanktons ; and Mrs. Steafbrth with the Poncas. Books, pictures, clothing, and some implements of husbandry and medicines, have been sent by the Episcopal Chinch, which has spent abont $ 5f\ 000 in the last two years in erecting buildings and maintaining its mission schools. The Indian commis-sion asks for $ 50,000 to carry forward its work during the year 1872. Encouragement and protection must be given to industrious Indians, and lands should be furnished them in several ty, with a title inalienable, except by an act of Congress. Instead of feeding them in idleness, they should be furnished with jacks, brood- cattle, and goats, as Indians soon became herdsmen, although they are slow in. learning to draw all their subsistence from the soil. Ready- made clothing should not be sent for women, as they can soon be taught to make their own garments, and even to manufacture men's clothing, after they have reached a certain point in civilization. As Indians are wards of the Government, the Commissary Department should be directed to encourage them, by purchasing their products, and the War Department should further co- operate by resisting the lawless frontiersmen, who, in defiance of law. furnish Indians with whisky and incite them to plunder. If the Government will turn its attention to checking ' the white violations of law, the religious bodies can tame and control the Indians. The progress in civilization by Indians under control of the Episcopal Church has been marvelously rapid, as the appliances have as yet been very imperfect. When agents are properly compensated and remain long enough to acquire the language, or when the leaders of the Indian tribes learn to speak Eng-lish, many of the existing difficulties to Indian civilization will be removed. The in-terpreterVarely has the confidence of either agent or Indian, and, being poorly paid, is rarely honest. Yours, respectfully, WILLIAM WELSH. INDIAN MISSIONS OF THE AMERICAN BOARD. MISSIONARY HOUSE, BOSTON, January 9, 1872. DEAR SIR : In reply to your questions of January 6, I beg leave to say that we have but one agency in our charge. It is located on the Coteau des Prairies, and is called the Sisseton agency, with two or three aliases. The name of the agent is Moses N. Adams. There is but one school on the reservation, supported by the board, the de-sign of which is to train up men and women who can preach and teach in the language ofthe Dakotas. ( We have a similar school at the Santee agency.) It is our endeavor, in all our missions, to throw the burden of the common schools upon the native com-munities. How many such schools there are on the Coteau at this time I am not able to say. The number of scholars registered in the training- school on the Coteau last year was nearly one hundred, but the attendance was irregular. The number at the San-tee agency was one hundred and fifteen. No suggestions to make. Our agent has but just reached his post. We have sent to the Coteau Mr. Wyllys K. Morris and his wife, both of whom have taught. ( The school has been in operation but little more than a year.) We pay them a salary, and they obtain their own supplies, books, & c. No collections have been made especially for this object. No suggestions to make. I have seen no reason to doubt the general line of policy marked out in the resolu-tions passed at the last meeting of the Indian commissioners. I should favor, in ordi-nary cases, the building of school- houses by the societies. This I understand to be the opinion of Mr. Welsh. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. B. TREAT, Secretary of the A. B. C. F. M VIKCKKT COLYER, Esq., Washington. |