CHEMAWA AMERICAN.
7
frank and plain in her speech. She says
what she means, and means what , she
says. When she .visits a school she goes,
not as a spy, but openly. See has a habit
of observing things withou t appearing to
do so. Petty things those of no conse-.
iptence she invariably overlooks; but de
tails that affect the life, comfort or happi
ness of the child are held as sacred and
neglect thereof is notforgotten or forgiven.
Miss Keel, with characteristic modesty,
has kept herself, her ideas and motives
zealously in the background since assum
ing the office of superintendent, . The
work was new, in a measure, and she
craved ..ultimate rather than temporary
success. She became Indian-wise by
vigilance in inspection, careful and con
stant observation. After three years of
the severest kind of mental and physical
toil she has reached the wise conclusion
that Indians are very human, and should
be educated along those lines that have
proven most successful with the white
race. She did not believe that the v hite
race monopolizes all virtues and the red
race all vices. . She does not believe . t hat
eenius belongs, of right, to the English
man. But she does believe that all babes
are created equal, and have an equal en
dowment, of mental and spiritual gifts. As
a natural consequence, 'then, the methods
and discipline that have developed the
civilization in the white race, will accom
plish similar results in any other race.
But there is a tuture to the education of
the Indian that appeals to the superintend
ent, too, and touches her heart to its pro
foundest depths. She realizes something'
of the pathos that attends the evolution of
the race and its assimilation into our body
politic. We call ourselves a great Christ
ian nation, yet are we intensely and cruelly
selfish and narrow in our social life. Our
prejudice beclouds our judgment. We
sympathize, in a measure with the In
dian's great struggle, and we are willing
to pet him a little and to tolerate much,
until the crysalis bursts and unsuspected
genius develops. Then the tear of sympa
thy dries on the cheek, and kindly tolera
tion becomes treatment actively antago
nistic. The pathos and pity of hum am
situation that should cause the doors of
hearts to open wide appeal in vain to sen
timents purposely embalmed. They may
, be associates but intimates never, They
may be friends but not comrades. We
stand pitilessly by and witness, with the
awful stocism of a heartless Nero, the strug
gles of a people, with desires and passions
like unto our own, to emerge from the hap
py thralldom of ignorance into the keener,
more perfect, joy of enlightened hopes and
ambition, and offer no help to cut the
leash and set them free. We call this
Christianity.
This pitiful situation appeals strongly to
the chieftainess of our Indian schools, and
her great energies are devoted to its ame
lioration. She is opposed to carrying t ho
literary education of Indian youth too far,
She favors unlimited indust rial education
with enough literary training to make the
industrial successful but not enough to cause
unhappiuess. A.11 her efforts are towards
making the school thoroughly practical.
' She feels that an intellectual giant,
minus character, minus skill, is the epit
ome of folly. He becomes, almost of ueces
sity,a rogue and languishes in durance vile,'
or a sycophantic parasite. Indolence is the'
canker-worm of the Indian and eats the'
heart of industry. A languid will is in
dustrial consumption.'' Therefore, she
would arouse the child's interest by the
achievement of practial results and keep it
active by educating him along the line of
.his natural affinities. Following out Miss '
Reel's hopes, the Indian child when leaves
the school, will not be educated beyond a"
point where he may toil and still be happy, '
At the same time he is skillful enough to
make an independent living for himself :
and family, and his brain has received
sufficient devepnient to enable nim to
catch glirrps' s i.f grander heights and to
inspire him to ambitious self-help.
After three years of honest, and earnest
iudeavor to gain the rignt, view of the sit
uation, the superintendent has ptomulga
ted a course of lndy fi the Indian school
which embraces her view of what should
be taught. The course is the product of pns
itivegenius, it is said, ami-shows profound
study and a thorough knowledge of the Iu
dian and his practical needs.
The Native American.