The Word Carrier of Santee Normal Training School (Santee, Nebraska), 1920-01 - 1920-02

              The Word carrier
of Santee Normal Training school.
VOLUME XLIX
SANTEE, NEBRASKA.
helping the right, exposing the wrong.
NUMBER- 1
JANUARY—FEBRUARY, 1920
FIFTY CENTS PER YEAR
Our Platform
For Indians we want American Education! We want
American Homes ! We want American Rights! The result
of which is American Citizenship! And the Gospel is the
Power of God for their Salvation !
We call attention in this issue to the concluded review of the story of Hampton Institute.
There is refreshment for missionary workers in
the expressions of General Armstrong's thought
given in the synopsis of these six chapters.
Speaking of Hawaiian missionary work, he
surveys the whole project of service and compares it with his task at Hampton. "Judged
by the progress of the Hawaiian people since
1820, the missionary work at Hilo has been a
grand success. Judged by Puritan standards
of morals, it has been a sad failure. ... We
cannot at once assume stability of character
when assured of conversion. Habits cannot
be reversed like a steam engine. It takes time,
and in time it can be done. A New England
man asked me: How much have the Negroes
improved in morals in ten years? I answered
'How much has New England improved in
morals in ten years?' I think the Negro has
improved relatively the most. . . . Birthright virtues or birthright vices should not
count like those men create by their own choice.
Bed rook must be gradually erected—it takes
centuries. Over-education and lack of practical training are dangers with these weak races.
For the average pupil too much is as bad as too
little. Character does not develop as rapidly
as mind. . . . Self-reliance aud decent living must not only be practiced but pushed upon the convert, whose well-ordered life should
be a daily lesson. A maxim of mission work
might well be, Ideas take root in a moment,
habits only in a generation. Such work means
the uplifting of the whole man by God's grace
and by every means that human wisdom suggests, and by protecting him from the harm
that he would do himself until he is thoroughly established in well doing, which must be a
matter of time and habit."
Indians at Standing Rock
With funds raised by public subscription
among Indiau families on the Standing Rock
reservation, the Standing Rock Memorial hall
will be built at Fort Yates this summer. The
memorial will commemorate the deeds of the
Standing Rock Sioux in the world war and
will contain many relics as well as a history
of the Sioux in the world war.
As each year a greater number of Indians
on the reservations are being given citizenship rights, and with this the control of their
own property, the leaders among the Indians
on Standing Rock reservation have formed an
organization for their betterment.
Membership is limited to Indians resident
on the reservation, and its principal purpose
is that of looking after the interests and rights
as citizens of the state. While some of the
Indians are shrewd dealers and can easily take
care of themselves in deals, others are not so
well able to do so, aud these are to be taught
and looked after.—Sioux City Journal.
Use of War Money
Two Indian parents came into the office to
buy a bound volume of the Iapi Oaye. They
paid for it with a crisp new bill. In the evening they came for the second volume. We
remarked upon the freshness of the bills, and
the mother answered in her quiet gentle voice:
"We get war money for our son who died in
France. We want to use it for something
that will help us the most. So we buy books.
Our children are all gone or are away now. We
are alone and have nothing to do in the evenings.    So we are going to read these books."
1
Oklahoma's Secretary For Indian Work
The Bulletin takes great pleasure in announcing that Mr. S. Ralph Walkingstick, Jr.,
has been appointed the first secretary for Indian work under the State Committee of the
Young Men's Christian Association of Oklahoma. Mr. Walkingstick is a member of the
Cherokee nation and is a native of Oklahoma.
He received his education at Bacone College,
near Muskogee, and completed the academic
course there in 1914. Then he matriculated
at Dartmouth College where he received his
degree. But in this connection it should be
stated that Mr. Walkinestick has rendered
important service in war work activities both
in 'this country and overseas. While overseas
he served as war work secretary of the Y. M.
C. A. with the British Expeditionary Forces
in India and Mesopotamia for almost a period
of two years. He returned July 12th and entered the Association Summer School at Estes
Park, Colorado. While there he was asked
to consider the position he now holds.
Mr. and Mrs. Walkingstick (for there is a
Mrs.) are planning to make their home in
Muskogee. Mr. Walkingstick's business address will be 416 Patterson Building, care
State Committee Y. M. C. A., Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma, where he will be glad to hear from
his friends and those interested in the woik
among Oklahoma's native Americans.—The
Y. M. C. A Bulletin.
Wanted: Continuity in Indian Policy
It is reported that an inquiry of possibly
far-reaching importance has been inaugurated
in Congress by the House Committee on Indian Affairs, which aims at the organization
of a definite policy of the Government in
dealing with the Indians and the elimination
of some of the incongruities and inconsistencies in Indian administration as it has been
conducted in recent years. .
The plan as outlined contemplates investigations by three sub-committees each woiking
in a different field. The first will undertake
a review of the Indian Office, its personnel,
its activities, and its achievements. One object
in view is the transfer, so far as possible, to
the Department of Justice, the Forestry Service, the Department of Agriculture, and the
Public Health Service, of such of the functions
of the Indian Bureau as come within the scope
of these departments. The second committee
will concern itself with the perplexing problems of the reimbursable fuuds, which have
grown to considerable sums since Congress
began, some twenty or more years ago, its
provision for this kind of financing of the Indians. The third committee will take up the
broad question of formulating a definite policy
of Indian education.
It is perhaps not unlikely that the ultimate
aim of this enlarged inquiry contemplates the
gradual winding up of the affairs of the In
dian Bureau, so far as they may eventually be
concluded. Of course the work of caring for
the Indians cannot be ended in its entirety at
any time in the near future. But it is widely
believed that this work may be materially and
rapidly reduced, and the idea of the committee seems to be, as judged by newspaper reports, that a policy may now be formulated
which will go far towards reducing the labors
of the Government in this field and bringing
them to a minimum after a term of years.
It is pertinent to point out, however, that
there is already a definite policy more or less
generally worked out, and that the need of the
hour is uot so much for a new policy as for a
more vigorous application of principles generally approved. There is also the further
need of establishing a continuity and persistency in following that policy without the constant changes of plan and purpose which have
heretofore ensued upon each change in the administration.
Take, for example, the matter of a course
of study for the schools. As recently as in
1915 a new and complete course of study for
uniform application in all the Indian schools
was outlined by a committee of eight experts
who met in Washington for the purpose. They
considered the latest practical suggestions advocated by American educators, and it is doubtful if anything better can now be devised than
their program of fundamental education and
vocational training. So, too, the Indian Office
was pretty tnoroughly overhauled a few years
ago, and new methods and more efficiency
were believed to have been introduced. Also,
the removal of restrictions and the granting
of citizenship has followed a well-marked
course. During the past two years some nine
or ten thousand Indians of half-blood or less
have been given their patents in fee and made
fall citizens. The course is laid even though
the progress is not fast enough.
It is hoped that this committee will not
waste time in threshing over old straw. Recent policies, essentially good, should be
given a sufficient trial. Doubtless there are
others older and not so good that need change.
Inconsistencies and incongruities should be
ironed out. Reducing the labors of the Government for the Indians may well be pressed
in many directions. But what is most needed, it may be said again, is the establishment
of continuity in policy and practice, together
with a speeding up in the application of principles already tried and proved. Let us hope
that it is this view which the committee will
eventually promote.—Editorial in The Southern Workman.
Opportunity for Arizona's College Graduates
The last report of the Indian commissioner
gives the total population of Indians, exclusive
of the five Civilized Tribes, at 237,737, and
of this number nearly 120,000 cannot speak
English, a sad commentary on the stewardship
of the pale face. Less than one third can read
and write. It would seem from these figures
that the Indian educational problem is far from
being solved. Arizona has a greater number of
Indians in percentage to its population than
any other state, there being nearly 45,000 in
that state, and of this number a little more than
7,000 can speak English and a few more than
5,500 can read and write. And Arizona boasts
of having more college graduates than any
other state in the Union in proportion to its
population.—Dr. A. T. Schuler.
Dr. and Mrs. Arthur P.Wedge arrived at the
Phoenix School last week and will spend some
weeks here and in this vicinity. Mrs. Wedge
is now officially Supervisor at Large' for the
moral instruction of girls, while Mr. Wedge
continues his work under the auspices of the
Elliot foundation.—The Native American.