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Show -5- ment in its efforts to advance their interests and this suggestion met with an immediate and most hearty response from all of the .Indians present, whereupon Black Hawk cane up and shook hands with, me most cordially and said that he regarded my talk as good and would strive in the future to give no cause for complaints against him. I then toll the indians that they oust piece their children in school; that Department regulations required it and that it- was also made compulsory by an act of Congress; That it ras your earnest wish that they place their children in school of their own accord .so that coercive measures would not have to be resorted to; that it had been reported that the Ute Indian police could not be depended upon for bringing children into the schools, nor even in returning runaway pupils, and that troops were necessary to force some of the parents to send their children to school; that you desired to avoid this and directed me to appeal to their reason and common sense, as the education of their children was for their best interests and .future welfare, and :- that public opinion demanded that obstinate parents should hot be permitted to stand in the way of advancing the Indians -through the education of their children; that it was hoped that they would recognize the importance of placing their children in school of their own accord and thus show their desire to pleaso the Department officials^ and also the many friends of the indians who wished them well, but who expect them to be reasonable and co-operate with the Government in its beneficient policy in striving to advance their interests and promote thoir welfare, whereupon they pledged themselves that -chair children would-be returned to school as rapidly aa they recovered from the effects of the measles. |