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Show 8 REPORT OF TEE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS school program are vital elements in the conduct of the program. Every employee in the service. participating in these conferences ought to feel a personal interest and responsibllit in the matters dis-cussed and should be willing, yes, solicitous, to ~o7 the part assigned him or her. Our united efforts over a term of years ought to materially improve the conditions that have been found to exist among the Indian people. The effects of a thoughtful, wisely i lanned, constructive program of health education will, in part, %e immed~atelya pparent, but the should be felt even more strongly in the second, the third, and the Io urth generations. b/ "The commissioner has an intense interest in this program, ss does ex-eryone who has the welfare of the Indian at heart. Let us i attack tlus program with the spirit of crusaders, to the end that the American Indian may take his place in the ranks of American citi- i zens as a clean, upstanding, vigorous, healthy individual, physically and mentally able to make the biggest contribution of which he is capable." Prior to the issuance of this letter conferences had been held at Santa Fe, N. Mes., and at Rosebud, S. Dak., for the purpose of out-lining a program of health education for Indian schools. The adop-tion of this program, to be given a permanent and prominent place in the general course of study for Indian schools, is believed to be the most important educational event of the year. To cambat dis-eases already contrmted is necessary and of importance, but to give instruction to the healthy children which will result in the formation of health habits is of much greater importance. It is better to expend thousands of dollars in prevention than to expend hundreds of thousands in attempting to cure. The health-education program was introduced in all Indian schools and other schools in which Indian children are enrolled were in-vited to cooperate in extending the course to Indians everywhere in the United States. Much emphasis has been given to the subject 4 by the schools throughout the year. The National Red Cross and the American Child Health Association have rendered a11 possible help with the program. A number of special bulletins prepared under the direction of the American Child Health Association have 1 been printed and circulated in the schools. Arrangements have been made for the American Child Health Association to pre are one bulletin for each month of the school year 1926, those gulletins defining special phases of health education and being used to supple-ment the regular health program. IMPROVEOFM INEDNITAI I~NME S,. AND THE REDC ROSS.-Probably the greatest need in connection with the education of the Indian youth of this generation is the improvement of the homes to which, in a majority of cases, they must return. With the aid of modern school facilities for about 80 per cent of the Indian children, they are making wonderful progress; in fact, such rapid pro ss that the parents, particular19 und.er th e economic hardships oY th e war period and the greater landlcaps of the reconstruction period, have not been able to keep pace with the needs of the awakened children. This fact being recognized, special efforts are being made to find ways and means of encouraging the Iqdians to greater effort toward preparing homes suitable for thelr.children when they return from school with cognizance of better hving standards and. a desire to |