Page 6 - April 2012

Book Reveals Chehalis Boarding School History (Part Three) Reprinted from Assimilation’s Agent: My Life time, is to push your plate back their positions and faithful to duty. as a Superintendent in the Indian Boarding and say to the waiter, ‘Bread and Changes in the personnel were School System by Edwin L. Chalcraft, edited water please.’ This will cause you seldom made. A police Court by Cary C. Collins, by permission of the to remember not to talk Indian was established, consisting of the University of Nebraska Press. Copyright while at school. Can any of you Superintendent, acting as Chief 2004 by the Board of Regents of the think of anything better to do?” Judge, and three policemen, as University of Nebraska. Several replied, “No,” and the Associate Judges. This court had The cost for the book is $29.95. If you are bread and water plan became jurisdiction over various offences interested in ordering a copy of the book, go effective. prescribed by the Indian Offce in to this website. http://www.nebraskapress. At dinner, about three-fourths Washington, and anything else that unledu/product/Assimilations-Agent,671728. of the number pushed their plates occurred among the Indians that aspx. Order by Phone 1-800-848-6224 back and had bread and water. the Superintendent deemed worth Chehalis Indian Reservation both, and (I) assured them that A small number tried to cheat, of Court action. – Part Three- we did not want to discard the but for each of these there was The usual procedure after I went to Puyallup Agency on native language, but were trying one or more of their playmates the Court had convened with all October 30 to consult the Agent to add another that would be more who pointed them out and said, members present was examining th about some Agency Business, valuable to them in dealing with “You talk Injun,” and back went all witness for the prosecution, one then to Seattle, and arrived back people of our own rave. With this their plates. The bread and water at a time, by the three Associate home November 8 , accompanied in mind, we all began to stress repasts diminished rapidly and in judges; then the same with the th by Alice’s sister, Miss Nellie the subject at every opportunity a short time disappeared entirely. witnesses for the defense. If Pickering. Miss Humphry resigned in conversation with parents and I remember a good-natured anything appeared to have been to go home, and Nellie took her pupils, in the class-rooms, and as nineteen-year-old boy, Dave Ben, omitted, or had not been clearly place in charge of the school much as seemed proper during the who tried so hard to not talk Indian explained, the Chief Judge dining room and the kitchen on Church Services. This continued but failed so much that Alice’s recalled witnesses to explain their November 10, 1883. for about three months, when it sympathy for him caused her to testimony more fully. The three We noticed the pupils were appeared the time for action had give him a “handout” between Associate Judges then retired to using the Indian Language almost arrived. meals sometimes, when it could be an adjoining room to act as a jury exclusively while playing and at I was always present at the done without attracting attention. and render a verdict. Frequently other times when they thought pupils’ meals. At the breakfast We had no further trouble about the Chief Judge was called into none of the employees could hear table on Monday morning, I told Indian language the jury room to assist in closing the, notwithstanding they were the pupils I thought they felt as I The daily routine of work went the case. This Court was of much urged to use the language they did about the beneft it would be on without anything of special value, and its verdicts were always were learning in the school-rooms. to them if they could speak the importance taking place until respected by the Indians. Legal We had been told that when the English language well, and they Christmas Eve, 1883, when about technicalities had little weight in S’kokomish School was frst were trying hard to do so; that I ten o’clock we heard someone at its decisions, but justice to the established, about one-half the had carefully thought the matter the front door. It was Mr. William litigants did, shown in one case I pupils were employees’ children, over and come to the conclusion S. Mayfeld, who afterwards will mention. consequently the Indian children there was only one thing in the became our brother-in-law. It Jake Ben was brought before acquired the English rapidly. With way, and that was, they would was an unexpected visit, at least the Court, charged with whipping us, all the pupils were Indian, with forget at time when they should to Alice and me. The next day, his wife. The prosecution proved the exception of Jessie Mills, the not do so. Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Mills had the charge. In Jake’s defense ten-year-old son of the Industrial As an illustration is said, dinner with us, and in the evening testimony, it was shown that he did Teacher, who had become so well “When playing marbles and there was a party for the children it because his children had some versed in the Indian language one boy wants to tell another to in the dining room Altogether it matches and were putting them in that I frequently used him as an ‘shoot,’ he is apt to forget and say was an enjoyable day. their mouths. He told his wife to interpreter in talking with Indians. it in Indian instead of English and We had a Police Department on stop them from doing this, and she From this, it appeared our it is necessary to do something to the reservation, consisting of four refuse, so he whipped her to teach weakness was in the playtime cause him to remember which to Indian men who were furnished her to be more careful with the situation. To remedy that, I use. The best thing I can think of regular uniforms, offcial badges, children when he was not present. deemed it necessary to have the for you to do, if you say anything and revolvers. While their pay The Court fned Jake three dollars cooperation of parents and pupils, in Indian between now and dinner was small, they were proud of Continued on Page 7... Page 6 chehalistribe.org  greatwolfodge.com  luckyeagle.com  eagleslandinghotel.net