OCR Text |
Show 34 REPORT OF THE COMldISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. upon his superstitious dread of something which may happen at a school where other children have died. Vicious white men around the reservation sometimes foster in the Indian a spirit of opposition to the education of his children. This conduct can be actuated only by self-interest in hopes that by keeping the benefits of education away from the Indian tribe, the opportunity of such persons will be greatly enhanced for making a living out of the ignorant. Such action has been particularly emphasized at several of the reservations, and in every instance stringent measures have been adopted to eliminate these malign influences so far as possible. The seed sown, however, by these people often produces eviLs hard to eradicate. A presentation of these few obstacles to the successful enrolling of a larger attendance is evidence sufficient to justify stronger meas-ures for overcoming the adverse influences to education. It will readily he seen that the gravest of the objections raised to sending their children to school is the result of ignorance, and to the intelligent man puerile in the extreme. Knowing that the main strength of tho oppo-sition lies in the ignorance of the Indian parent, Government officials engaged in the work are enjoined to have a sympathetic appreciation of the feelings of these benighted people, and to exercise tact and good nature in dealing with them so ail to overcome the natural or acquired prejudice on their part. While the designation of the particular school to which the child should go, can not for obvious reasons be delegated to the parents, igno-rant of what is best, yet in all caves their wishes are given carefnl conwideration, and if possible, carried out. The particular school attended is not of such importance as is the attendance itself on some school. An examination of treaties mrEde with the various tribes will disclose that in a number of the earlier ones compulsory education was pro-vided for, and on those reservations where it exists improved condi-tions have resulted. It is not contended that all Indian tribes require compulsion on the part of the Government in order that their children shall attend school. Many tribes, and many individuals, recognize the great work of the Government and cooperate in the work. The increasing number of returned pupils is operating as leaven to the whole mass. From the isolation of one or two in a tribe, they have grown in number until they are able to combat successfully hereditary prejudices. As a rule, these pupils are the unconsciouw, or conscious, agents who are spreading the desire "to know" among the younger genei-dtions. Superintendents report that there is a noticeable gain in responsiveness upon the part of pupils leaving school--a greater appreciation of the responsibilities which are being thrown upon their race. They find "nlore purpose in school life and have a keener sense of its relation to the future." The constant stream of "returned |