Page 6 - March 2012

Book Reveals Chehalis Boarding School History (Part Two) Reprinted from Assimilation’s Agent: My o’clock that morning Alice and I practically all the new pupils had Life as a Superintendent in the Indian went to the school-house to begin to be taught to speak English Boarding School System by Edwin L. our new work. I was to teach the before they could do anything Chalcraft, edited by Cary C. Collins, more advanced pupils until noon; with books. Some of the parents by permission of the University of and she, the younger and less could use the English language Nebraska Press. Copyright 2004 by the advanced, until ten o’clock when Board of Regents of the University of fairly well, others could hardly Nebraska. they were to be dismissed to play make their wants known, and and she was liberty until noon. many knew but few words in The cost for the book is $29.95. If you In the afternoon Alice had charge our language. The Chehalis and are interested in ordering a copy of of the sewing-room, teaching the Nisqually Indians were closely the book, go to this website. http:// girls to mend clothing and make related, but their native language www.nebraskapress.unledu/product/ new garments from material was entirely different. This Assimilations-Agent,671728.aspx. Order furnished by the Government. by Phone 1-800-848-6224 My afternoon was occupied in caused us to have new pupils using different languages to Chehalis Indian Reservation – A political change in the the offce and at other work. The contend with, and Alice became Part Two Government usually caused Industrial Teacher, Mr. Mills, had quite an expert in substituting our The Government policy at some minor changes in Indian the boys old enough for industrial way of speaking for the native this time was to give the younger policy, but it remained for the instruction at work about the way. While acquiring the use of generations academic and New Deal to discover that school and farm. The girls not English words with expressions industrial instruction, to ft them everything previously done was in the sewing room attended as these were common by pupils; for life as individual citizens in wrong and “seep the slate clean,” to other domestic affairs under viz., “String shoes” for shoe any community, and while this even to (the extent of) asking direction of the Matron. strings, “drink the horse” for was being done, (to) care for the the allotted Indians to return We had thirty-one in school water the horses, and “Me you physical needs and supervise the their Trust Patents to the Indian the frst week and thirty-nine catch” for you catch me. Alice affairs of the older Indians, who Offce for cancelation, which the second week. The number saw a crumpled leaf in a girl’s native ideals and habits were to would turn their land back to gradually increased until book and asked her about it. The fully entrenched in their lives to tribal ownership again, a purely the average attendance was girl promptly replied, “Joseph be changed. communistic proceeding. about forty-fve, some coming Choke’s slate stepped on it.” That this Government policy According to “Indians at from Nisqually and Squaxon Fortunately, the Indians Reservations. The total number was a success is attested by the work,” a semi-monthly magazine of pupils enrolled in the school were not addicted to the use of fact that a large number of the published by the Indian Offce, between profanity. The only case that younger Indians are living on wonderful results have been October 1st, 1883, and came to my notice was one day their reservations, practically free obtained by casting aside the June 30th, 1889, when we when a little boy named Sammy from the superstition and habits former policy, but it is quite left Chehalis to take charge of Smith accused his playmates of their parents, while hundreds noticeable to those families with the Puyallup School, was one of swearing at him. They of others are flling positions Indian affairs that the personnel hundred and one. In addition explained that they had called of responsibility and trust as performing the work upon which to these, there were nine white him “American,” “Captain respectable citizens among the results are based are the pupils in attendance for a time, Ed. Smith,: “Washington,: and those of our own race. I make product of the former policy. six of them being children of “Son of David.” To him, it was these statements from personal This opinion is the feeling employees. One was Alice’s a serious offence, but not so to experience and knowledge of practically all the mature little cousin, Willie Pickering, some of us. acquired from long service in educated Indians with whom I who was visiting us from April The older Indians understood charge of different reservations have come in contact, and they 1st to September 7th, 1885; and spoke the Chinook Jargon, in widely separated localities, are not few in number. and the other two were Alice’s a trade language developed by and four years as Supervisor of On Monday morning, the younger sisters, Mamie and the Hudson’s Bay Company Indian Schools, during which third day after (our) arriving Cora Pickering, who were at the at an early date, and this was time duties took me to nearly at Chehalis the children with school for a short time. commonly used by members of every place in the United States their parents had arrived from The classroom work covered each tribe when talking with each where a group of Indians could their summer vacation and were about the same studies as the other. be found. ready to attend school. At eight country schools at that time, but Continued on Page 7... Page 6 chehalistribe.org  greatwolfodge.com  luckyeagle.com  eagleslandinghotel.net