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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONEB: OF INDIAN AFFAIRS 1s range with first-class cattle. Indians of other reservations are also beginning to appreciate the necessity of action along this line. REIMB~ABLFEU ND.-T~r~ei mbursable fund has robably been the main factor in the industrial progress of the Inians. Its use is widespread, ranging from the purchase of seed, farming imple-ments, and sawmills to breeding stock, etc. In all cases the bene-ficiaries are carefully selected. This appropriation is teaching the Indians to pay for what they get and enables them to obtain the necessary equipment to become self-supporting and improve their economic condition generally. Boys' AND GIRLS' c~~s.-Club work for boys and girls has been inaugurated on 17 reservations, with a total enrollment of over 400 children from 9 to 14 years of age. The projects embrace shtep, pig, poultry, calf, corn, potato, garden, bread, canning, and sewlng clubs. With the exception of two reservat~ons each club member has financed his or her own project. The public school, because now attended by a great many Indian pupils is used as the point of contact for club work. The proposition is before the Indlan children the same as the white children by the count agent. The club leaders include Indian Service farmers, public-scT I ool teachers, neighboring white farmers, and Indian men and women whp have met with success in such work. The county and Sete falrs are used to stimulate interest in the club work. An Indlan girl won sufficient prizes on canned goods to pay her tuition in high school for the coming year. Interest in club work is further aroused by permitting the boys and girls to attend encampments under the auspices of the extension division of the De artment of Agr~culture cooperating with the State colle8 e , where Pe ctures, demonstrations, and other activities are held. n one reservation the club mem-bers were sent to the State university to attend a short course on club projects. The plans for the coming ear may be summarized as follows: (1) Improved leadership and g etter organization of lo-cal units; (2) increased enrollment; (3) periodic demonstrations by county agents in central locations; (4) greater variety of projects; institutes and short courses. '5khe p arents learn almost as much as the children through these club projects, and in this way will frequently take up some branch of farming work without realizing what prompted them to do so. FAIRS AND EXHIBITS The strictly Indian fair on the reservation was inau~urated as a means of stimulating the interest of the Indians in agriculture and related industries at a time when no county fairs were held by the whites in the vicinity of the reservation because of the then sparsely settled condition of the country. However, with the coming of the whites, the organization of counties, and the opening of the reserva-tion to settlement and entry, county fairs began to be held by the whites. The policy now is to 'discontinue the strictly Indian fair on the reservation and to have the Indians exhibit their farm products, live-stock, etc.! at conveniently located county fairs on the same basis as other exh~biton. Quite a number of the strictly Indian fairs have |
