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Show COMXISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIE8. 93 Snperintendent Benedict paints a gloomy picture of the future when he says: It doea not require a very keen eye to discern that in this country the notorious "grafter" is constantly in-search of the iUite7ate Indian. The educated Indian, to use a local phrase, is not considered "good pickin." Practical education not only makes of the Indian a thinking, reaaoning individual, but it also teaches him something of the responsibilities of life, something of the value of property, and how it should be cared for, something of the necessity of providing for the future, something of his duties and relations to his family and hisneighbars; while the uneducated full blood, not being able to understand the nature of the changed conditions and in& responsibilities which will necessarily accompany the individual allotment of lands and distribution of tribal funds, will become the easy prey of the ever-present grafter or schemer. Much haa been Baid and written about the deplorable condition of the whites of the Territory, but if the 450 tribal schools are to he abolished and the Indiana left powerless to provide educational facilities for their children, as the whites now are, the Bituation will become doubly deplorable from m educational standpoint. The several nations being under different laws and agreementa are here sepalutely considered: Cherokee Nation.-A steady gain in schools and educational interests has been noticeable during the year. There were 23 graduates from seminaries and 3 from the colored high school. The day-school teach-ers showed an increase of from 150 to 175. There was an enrollment of 1,145 pupils, with an average attendance of 884. Twenty-seven day schools are attended almost exclusively by full bloods, the number enrolled being 600. I n the 17 schools for freedmen, 821 were enrolled, with an average attendance of 534. The high percentage of enroll-ment it is gratifying to note occurs mostly in the country schools. The male seminary was in session for nine months, with an enroll-ment of 241 and average attendance of 152. The female seminary for the same period had an enrollment of 260 and average attendance of 190. The work in these schools seems to have been well done. The orphan school was destroyed by fire on November 17, 1903. Most of the children were cared for by relatives and friends, while 50 of the needy ones were eared for at the Whittaker Orphan Home for six months through the kindness of Rev. W. T. Whittaker. The semi-naries took charge of about 30 of the boys and girls for the remainder of the year. The inmates of the insane asylum were moved to the old Tahlequah jail, and the oldasylum has been refitted for an orphan-age. The colored high school carried an enrollment of 45 and average attendance of 33. Supervisor Coppock reports a generally healthy sentiment prevailing hetween the United States and the tribal anthori-ties, and quotes the remarks of the principal chief, Ron. William C. Rodges, in which he says to the national council: I suggest that it would he unadvieable for the national council to interfere with the present system which ia now in suwessful operation, but permit the schools to be mu under the rules and regulations adopted. |
