OCR Text |
Show ing Christian charwter. The policy of the Indian Office on this subject is that outlined in reference to whits schools by Qeueral Grant, which is, "to afford every child growing up in the land the opportunity of a a good common-school educatiou, unmixed with sectarian, pagan, or atheistical tenets;" to instill into the hearts aud consciences of its Indian wards religions sentiments, which will tend to the social better-ment of their race; to raise the status of their people; to elevate their moral and intellectual standard, and awaken then1 to a higher, a better, and a manlier life, to one of upward progress in the development of their 8elf.respect and self-r~liances,o that they may attain their proper place in this modern Christian'natiou. MISCELLANEOUS XATTEBS. With the exception of a few points where there are at present little or qo facilities for the Government education of the Indians, the work of the office has been in the line of increasing the facilities at the schools already established. The estimated value of nonreservation school plants is $1,566,884, and reservation plants $1,995,876, a total of $3,562,760. The valne of this property is so large that it will be readily seen the cost of repairs is a most important item. TheVermilion Lake School, Minnesota, and the Fort Berthold School, North Dakota (two large new plants), will be opened this fall. Sub-stantial improvements at Riverside, Fort Sill, and Rainy Mountain, on Kiowa, etc., Reservation, Okla.; Port Peck, Mont.; Morris, Minn; Flandreau, S. Dak.; Pipestone, Minn.; Fort Mojave, Ariz.; Colorado River, Ariz., and Salem, Oreg., together with a greatnumber of smaller buildings at different plants, will materially increase the capacities during the ensuing fiscal year. The new school plant for San Carlos, Aria, will be completed early next year and will afford much-needed advantages to these Indians. Owing to the limited amounts appropriated for the schools at Red Lake and Leeoh Lake, Miun., and the great number to be accomrno-dated, difficulty has been experienced in preparing plans. The build. ings at Leech Lake were advertised, but the unprecedented rise in materials was such that the lowest bids exceeded the amonnt available. These plans have been redrawn and will be advertised at an early date. The necessity for additional facilities for the Chippewas requires the erection of these plants, although it appears reasonably certain they will not be adequate for their necessities. They can, however, be increased at a later date. The only large reservations on which no Government schools are located areFlathead, Mont., and Southern Ute, 0010. Efforts are beiug made to induce the latter to accept Fort Lewis as their reservation school and to give them other facilities. Arrangements are being per-fected to place a large boarding school on the Flathead Reservation during the next year. |