The Word Carrier of Santee Normal Training School (Santee, Nebraska), 1904-01 - 1904-12

              The Word Carrier
of Santee Normal Training School.
VOLUME   XXXIII.
HELPING    THE   RIGHT.   EXPOSING
•UK    W1IONK.
NUMHTCR   1.
SANTEE, NEBRASKA.
JANUAEY-FEBEUAEY, 1904.
THIRTY 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 tlieir Salvation!
Our Deliverance Fund Again.
The yap of two thousand dollars between our
very conservative estimates for the current year
and the appropriation of The American Mission-
ssociation was so great that it seemed at
wild thing to hope for relief. The Asso-
:i did not see their way clear to promise us
iore; and we could not ask for any less,
at cutting into the life of the school. No
!.rough was in sight, but it seemed the
thing to go as far as the way lay open.
Then our faith was encouraged by the gifts
of Mr:'. Farnam and others of $555. reported
last number of the Word Carrier. And
lien $145 more has come into our De-
ee Fund, as follows:
,. Miss Alhertine C. Wales, Colorado
s, Col., $15.00; Greeley, Col., Congrega-
ary i
first ■:
ciativ
any
with
way
righ
to the
since
livenr
Fro
tiono. -hurch Y. P. S. C. E. $20.00; Junior Endeavours of Second Congregational church,
Denver, Col., $5.00; Junior Endeavorers of
Boulevard Congregational church, Denver, Col.,
$5.00; St. Anthony Park, St. Paul, Congregation;, churchY. P. S. C. E., $10.00; Hyde Park
Auxiliary of The Massachusetts Women's Home
Missionary Union,$5.00; Mrs. AnnaM.Triplett,
Coshocton, O., $10.00; Miss Alice Byington,
Stock bridge, Mass., $75.00.=$145. Acknowl-
edgi    before $555. Total $700.
If we can have as much more than this it
will bring us through the year on a reduced
scale of expenditures. Still more would be re-
quii   ; for freedom and the best success.
A i writing the above we have the gladdening news that the A. M. A. has added to our
appr,; iation $500, so $200 more would carry us
succes fully through to the end of the sehool year
without making a break in any department.
Our Deliverence Fund is stiR open.
Sales of Inherited Lands.
Over three-quarters of a million dollars have
been paid to the Indians for their inherited
lands in a comparatively short time. Every
sale is made for cash and the money paid direct
to the heirs. It not unfrequently happens that
from $2,000 to $3,000 and as high as $5,000 are
paid to one individual, and when it is remembered that this same Indian has perhaps never
before been in possession of more than a few
dollars at any one time, and has no practical
business experience, it is not to be expected
that he wiR be benefitted in proportion to the amount of money received by him. As soon as
he receives the money he is free to
dispose of it as he sees fit and is
absolutely without any restraint.
A number of suggestions have
heen submitted which seek to
protect the Indian from being
defrauded out of his money after it is received by him, and
one of these suggestions appears
to be worthy of serious consideration, to wit: That the land be
sold on time, the consideration to
be paid in annual installments
covering a period of ten or fifteen
years, the evidence of indebtedness to be non-negotiable and the
deed withheld until the consideration is fully paid. It is agreed
that this method of disposing of the land would
cut off speculation, make it possible for many
norneseekers' to acquire it who are unable to
buy for cash, and would best subserve the interests of the heirs, since it would provide them
with an annual income and cut off the possi-
m7 of an eal'Ey dissipation of the proceeds.
Ihe legal heirs to the land sold have in most
cases been easfly ascertained, and but little litigation has  grown  out of the  distribution of
the property.    By reason of   these  conditions
but few Indians have been put to any expense
in establishing their heirship, and much of the
expense that they   have   incurred   by   having
estates probated has been entirely unnecessary.
Some of the heirs have been induced to probate
the estate in which they are interested by attorneys whose sole object is evidently to collect a fee, since the facts show in most of such
cases that no complications whatever  existed
and that a decree  of court
was   entirely
unnecessary
in order to determine the legal heirs. This
practise of
probating estates has been
discouraged
by the officials
in charge and
this   item  of
expense   will
no doubt con-
stantly   decrease. There
are estates in
which it  becomes   necessary to determine the legal
heirs by decree of court,
and   the   expense of obtaining such decree in these cases is unavoidable.
It is questionable whether or not the sale of
land inherited by minors  should be generally
permitted.    The fact that the land is in most
cases rapidly increasing in value and is readily
leased to good advantage would seem to make
as desirable an investment as could be procured
by a guardian after the proceeds are in his hands.
The risk which always attends personal property
in the hands of a guardian,together with the cost
of administering the trust, would be largely absent if the land remained unsold; and it yet remains to be shown when it is any advantage to
a ward to have his property converted into money
with the attending risk and expense.   This view
is further supported by the fact that most of the
land heretofore sold has been purchased by from
half adozen to adozen individuals at each agency,
showing that to buy this land is considered by
ADULT   PRIMARY   PUPILS.
Santee Working Ideas.
' 'For Indians we want American Education ! We
want American Horn es! We want American Rights!
The result of which is American Citizenship! And
the Gospel is the Power of God for their Salvation !" These words,taken fromtheplatformof the
Word Carrier, express the need which Santee
Normal Training School is trying to fill.
The course of study is necessarily unique. The
questions to be faced are: what studies will make
the pupil of most use to himself and to his people 1
What will help to make him the best possible person? The relative value of
studies is therefore, a subject
of constant
thought and
experiment.
The plan is to
make history
and science
the basis of all
the work. The
more formal studies, as
language and
mathematics,
are, so far as
possible, subordinate and
supplementary to these.
A peculiar
problem in the
school work is
the adult primary   class.
These   pupils
with no preparation  beyond the  abili-
read their own language poorly, and a
second  grade  knowledge  of   English
They are usually Christian young
women,  and   wish   particularly to
Bible.    They learn   to read  it in
language,   and gain  at  the   same
much as they are  able  to   compre-
and other related   subjects.
two  years, and when they
are of   far more  use
they came.
come
ty to
first or
reading.
men  and
study the
their own
time, as much
hend of theology
They stay one or
return to their   homes,
in the  world  then when
A.   COOKING   SCHOOL   CLASS.
them a good investment; for from the amounts
purchased it is quite evident they are buying the
land for investment purposes aud not as homes.
If, then, the business men of these communities
consider this the best investment for their money it is evident that a guardian could hardly
expect to find a better one.—Report of Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
A correspondence school is carried on for the
benefit of former pupils and of any others who
wish to study at home. The membership is one
hundred and seventy-six, and is increasing.
In order to make the school-life as homelike as possible, the dormitories are small.
Each of the houses is in charge of a matron, who makes a Christian home for
those under her care. The individual attention which each pupil thus receives,
and the constant help and teaching in
every detail of daily life, make the homes
a powerful factor in their training.
One-half of each day is given to industrial work. Besides the necessary work
in the homes, in which aR of the pupils
have a part, the girls are given special
training in sewing and cooking. They
learn to do plain sewing, and the older
ones are able to make their own clothes.
They are taught to do good plain family
cooking, using materials which they have,
or can have, at their own homes.
Under scientific management the farm
gives opportunity for exceRent training.
The young men learn the principles of agriculture in all its departments. Moreover,
they do the actual work again and again,
and learn by doing. They see the great
value of irrigation in this country, and are
ready to apply their knowledge to their own
farms. The greater part of the Indian land,
however, is good for cattle raising, and for
nothing else. Much attention is therefore
paid to the subject of animal husbandry.
This   work   is   supplemented   by   class-room