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Show REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF INDIAN SCHOOLS. 433 I wish to emphasize the vital importance of teaching these branches to every Indian girl. If anythin it is of more importance than industrial education for the boys. %hrough the girls in the schools is almost our only way of reaching the home, and as they are to be the future wives and mothers, the fate of coming enerations will be, in a large measure, in their keepin . Therefore? t e opportunity of train- $ f ing them in the duties of their uture state-in the art of making home a home in f a c e i s one not to be neglected. Educate and civilize the future lndian father in as thorough a manner as you please, but neglect the future Indian mother, and your work will be fruitless. If it he true in the ease of the Caucasian race that its destiny is in the keeping of its mothers, no less so is it true of the Indian race. I am pleased to state that the past year has witnessed a great improve-ment in this direction, but many schools still remain w~ t hin adequate facilities for industrial instruction, and I would recommend that a considerable appropriation be made for supplying this deficiency. 1 The maioritv of Indian educators are united in the ouinion that literary i&truition should be of secondary, and industrialhainin of vrimarv. imvortance in the svstem of Indian education. As state % bbv an emiAent divine recently: " < On an industrial foundation will grow habita of thrift, love of work, economy, ownership of pro erty, and a bank account, and then naturally will follow weslth and the highest Kucational opportunity for the future generations. COURSE OF STUDY. The course of study in preparation will contain suggastions not only for giving a thorough training in the fundamental English branches, but also for instruction in sewing, cooking, laundry, and general housework, the useful trades, nature study,, and agriculture. The Secretary of Agriculture says, in h ~ asn nual report, "&If of the eople of the United States are occupied in producing from the soil iirectly." In view of the importance of agriculture, the public schools of some of the leading States have made the study of this branch com nlsory. As most of the Indians, like white people, must depend on t e cultivation of the soil for a livelihood, it is essential that they be taught to farm in a scientific and systematic manner, in order that the vast tracts of land which they possess may be made ~ - productive. The literary and industrial work in the course of stndy will corre-late, thus enabling the instructors to do better work in their respective departments. For example, the work in nature stndy will so merge into the agricultural that the farmer will be able to accomplish much in the field that could not he attemuted were it not for the instruction 'ven the child in the class room, aLd the same will be truein the other gpartmenta, from the kindergarten to the highest grades. It will be my endeavor to have the old Indians do more basket mak-ing, .rug and blanket weaving, etc., while the youth of the race are educated in the new methods of industrial training. The industrial and literary departments willbe interdependent, and the teachers will realize that until the work of the class room and each department correlate the child has not been given the best training in each branch and occupation that the school provides, 6266-00-28 |