Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1879.djvu/13

Rh to turn over to the Interior Department the military barracks at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, no longer used by the army, for the establis h ment of an Indian school on a larger scale. Captain Pratt, who had already rendered valuable services to the cause of Indian education in Florida and at Hampton, was sent by this department to the various Indian agencies to select children of both sexes for the Carlisle school, and he, aided by Miss F. A. Mather, of Massachusetts, a lady of great merit, performed this task with energy and judgment. One hundred and fifty-eight Indian boys and girls, Sioux, Bannocks, Kiowas, Comanches, Cheyennes, Arapahoes, Poncas, and Nez Percés, mostly the children of prominent men in their respective tribes, have been taken to Carlisle Barracks, and the school is now in full operation. Arrangements are also made to have a number of Indian boys and girls belonging to tribes on the Pacific Slope educated in like manner at Forest Grove, in Oregon. Their number will be increased as soon as sufficient means and accommodations can be found. If this experiment proves successful, of which there seems to be a very hopeful prospect, other public buildings not otherwise used should be placed at the disposal of this department for the same purpose. In my opinion the withdrawal of as large as possible a number of Indian youths from the influences of their more or less savage home surroundings, their education and training in useful knowledge and arts in the very atmosphere of civilization, and after a few years so spent their return among their people as teachers and examples can hardly fail to produce a salutary effect upon the whole Indian population. It has frequently been said that young Indians so educated will, after their return, speedily relapse into the barbarous habits of their tribes and leave these acquirements unused. This might have been the case when a young Indian of this description found himself with those acquirements in the midst of his people solitary and alone, Without sympathy and co-operation; but it will not be apt to happen if each tribe or band has in it a larger number of young men and women so educated who can lean upon and co-operate with one another and take advantage of that desire for education which now appears to be found among the Indians generally. It seems, therefore, important that the number of pupils at these schools be increased as much as possible.

Several Indian chiefs whose children are at Hampton and Carlisle have expressed a desire to visit those schools next spring and to bring their wives with them for that purpose — a sort of Indian visiting committee. It is thought that such a visit will be calculated to do much good, and it will therefore be encouraged within proper limits.

So far the policy above stated could be carried out with the means granted to this department. But other things equally important could not be done by this department without further essential legislation, which has been repeatedly recommended to the consideration of Congress, but, I regret to say, without success.