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Show 8 REPORT OF $HE COM.MI8810NER O F INDIAN AFFAIBB. bet& scheme for converting them ihto intelligent, honest American citizens, aelf-respectful and self-helpful, conld sca$cely he devised. THE HLGHER EDUCATION OF THE EXDIANS. Heretofore little baa been attempted by the Government towards se-euring for the Indians anything more than a very rudimentary English and industrial training. The time generally supposed to.be required to L'educaten a non-English speaking Indian, fresh from the wilds af a ,reservation, and to fully equip him for life even amid the diszressing surroundings of his barbarous home, has been three years. The ab-aurdity of the idea is apparent to any intelligent man who will give ten 'minutes thought to it. It isno easier to edocate an Indian than to educate a white man, and takes no less time. Theincreased difficulties that confront the young Indian just from school on returning to %he reservation is a powerful argument for giving hi& a longer, more com-plete education even than is given to the average white child. Very few of the white hogs from our grammar schools are prepared to oope with the difficnlties of LL getting on in the worldn amidst the discour-agements of reservation life. RETURNING TO THE RESERVATION. The young Indiaus should receive a thorough education to fit them for ~uaintainingth emselves, and then should be free to seek a home for themselves anywhere they please. There is no more reason for com-pellingself- reliant Indian boys And girls to return against their will to an Indian reservation than there is of forcibly sending white boys and grls thither. This whole reservation system is an abominatiori that ahould cease to exist. Pnpils that prefer to return to their people should be encouraged and helped until they are able to withstand the dreadful inflnences of camp life and toestablish and maintain homesfor themselves. But the policy of the Government should be to encourage the Indian pupils educated in the industrial schools to seek homes for themselves wherever they can find the best opportunities to earn an honest living. NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS. Special efforts are being put forth to increase the number as well aa the efficiency of Government schools, with a view of providing as soon ,as practicable proper school facilities for all Indian youth of school age hot already provided fop This work will be pressed as far and as fast as the means and the force at the disposal of the Indian Office will allow. During the 'last fiscal year new buildings were furnished boarding schools at the Fort Peck, Mescalero, Otoe, Puyallup, Santee and Warm Springs Agencies, and large additions were made to those at Devil's Lake and Omaha: Two speoial appropriations of $25,000 each were made by Congress for the establishment of a training school at Pierre, Dak;, and an-other in Ormsby County, Nev., upon tracts of land donated to the Qov- |
