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Show 444 REPORT OF SUPEBINTENDENT OF INDIAN SOHOOLS. This subject naturally divides itself into farmin and the tradas. Under the former may be embraced not only the or$inary dutiss per-taining to the cilltivation of cro s, care of live stock, and a knowledge of the proper use of agriculturafimplements, but much labor of a gen-eral character, the necessity for which ifi recognized by every thrifty farmer. The industrial teacher at every Indian school should be a man who will study the peculiarities, agricultural and climatic,of the reservation in which the pupils live, and teach them the methods of husbandry adapted to their locality, and the kind of vegetables, cereals, and fruits suited to them. The most practical and useful trades for the Indin are those that teach him to work in wood, leather, and at tailorin and tinning. In lar7 e industrial schools other trades may be taug%t, some of which wil be serviceable to boys settling- down in older communities, and any of which will be broadening in their influence, even where the trades can not be utilized upon the reservation. Such trades should not be pursued, however, to the neglect of that practical knowledge which is required to meet the necessities of the home field. Great progress has been made along these lines during the past year. A considerable part of the expenditures for the ensuing year should be devoted to obtaining larger facilities for industrial training. Industrial trainin is as much the need of young women as of oung men. Sewin? coofining,n ursing, and a course of economic louse-keepin shou d form a part of every girl's education. Where girls are ful& instructed in these common practical needs of life, they will become home makers in the highest sense of the word. Thus industrial work is fundamental in our theory of Indian educa-tion. Manual training and industrial education impart very lar ely the fiber of high moral character. The idea is not merely that t % ey shall know how to make a living, but that they shall be prepared for all of life's duties. Teachers emuloved in industrial instruction should possess the disposition and ability"to im ress these views upon the young Indian, and to create within h ima g e 0- interest in learnin-g how dohis work well. In this connection I quote from an article written by Mrs. L. W. Quimby, for five years field matron at Puyallup, Wash. Her interest in the cause of uplifting the race and her ears of practical experience in the field make her opinion valuable. Jhe says: There is so much of sentimentality, so many impractical suggestions, and so mu@ precious mone wasted fifty ears In advance of its time. We need farmers, not too "high hrelz' to handle agoe, not too stupid to practically demonstrate the thea-ries of farming, stock raising, fruit culture, ete.-things for which the pu ils mll find use as soon as they leave the school. Bands are to be desired in theirpLe (an infe-rior place To harness a horse, to prune a tree, to kill a pig and prepare it for mar-ket, will kelp far more in the battle of life that must be fought. To play the piano is-what? After school days are over, how many will ever ain finger the keys? Will the vain regrets, the unmtisfied ambition, make the poo3ittle home brighter, think you? Going from home to home, from tribe to hibe, year after year, I have learned that civilization is not reached in s. few school years. Round by round,, slow1 as the yeam go b changes almost imperceptibly creep into t he hho!m?e Me. old-fashioned tgee R's in hook-learnmng areabsolute necessities, but beyond this a long-continued s stem of brain development is to be deprecated. Then let every friend of Indian Jucation urge, in season and out of season, that industrial training he forced to the front rank and that education be narrowed to the simple, pmtical ele- |
