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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 1923)
T H E CHEM AW A A M ERICA N PAGE 4 OUR LITTLE HEROINE Some time ago there arrived at Chemawa from the Far North a little Indian girl who is beyond doubt every inch a heroine. We take pleasure in printing a dispatch which was given the papers at the time of the trip to our school, as follows: The most popular passenger on the steamship Victoria, in port here to day, was little Mary Buck, a 14 year-old crippled Indian girl. The Victoria came from Nome. Mary, whose Indian name is Iggiyuk, was one of a party of five native children on their way to the Indian school at Chemawa, Ore. Her story is told by Dr. James H . Condit, superintendent of the board of Presbyterian home missions for Alaska. “ M ary’s troubles began in the fall of 1919,” said Dr. Condit. “ She was living at Rocky Point, nine miles from Nome, with her father and mother, two brothers and a sister. Shortly after the last trip of the steam ship Victoria, the “ flu” broke out in Nome and the surrounding country. More than half of the Eskimo population died. There were left 75 flu orphans, among them Mary. “ When a relief party entered M ary’s home they found the parents dead and the four children huddled together in one bed. It was very cold, being in the dead of winter. Mary, then 12, and an older brother had taken off most of their own clothes and wrapped them about the two smaller children. The brother died a short time later from the effect of the cold. M ary’s left leg was frozen and had to be amputated above the knee. ” Mary was taken to live with her grandmother at Mountain Village, Dr. Condit relates, but finally the government teacher there put her on a barge and sent her down the Yukon to take the steamer for Seattle to go to the large school at Chemawa. The girl had practically no clothing and an old sourdough at Moun tain Village had given her $20 to purchase some. Mary was supplied with crutches when her leg was amputated, but they are too short now and have been broken several times. Last Sunday night during service on the Victoria, Dr. Condit brought the little Indian g irl’s case to the notice of the passengers and they took up a collection of $105 to buy her an artificial limb. This amount has been found to be insufficient. An artificial limb of the rtg h t kind costs $150 or more. Dr. Condit has deposited the $105 with the United States bureau of education in the Smith building here to be used as seems best for Mary. INDUSTRIAL ITEMS The farm and garden details are sorting potatoes. O ur ice plant has been undergoing repairs and is just in commission again. Classes in mechanical drawing number eight at present. There are 75 boys of the vocational division enrolled. The mason detail has repaired the walls about the roof of the plumbing shop and the carpenters are placing a new roof on the building. The two trucks and a team have been busy of late hauling dirt to fill holes in the lawn and protect the ditches where new heating lines were installed. The painters are at work in the Small Boys’ quarters at present. As soon as material can be obtained new lockers will be built in this building. There is con siderable plastering to be repaired there also. The flood of last week filled the basement of the school building and did considerable damage to the heating lines there. However, the plumbers, through strenuous effort, soon removed the water with a steam jet. The hospital basement was also flooded and was treated in a like manner. CHEMAWA PLEDGE As a student of the Chemawa Indian School, which is maintained by the people of the United States, I heartily acknowledge the obligation I owe for the opportunities open to me here for training, ideals and vision for life, which I deeply appreciate and regard as a sacred trust. I do hereby pledge my honor that it will be my most cherished purpose to render as bountiful return to the United States in faithful and ardent devotion to the commom good of Chemawa and the advancement of its interests as will be in my power. It will be the aim of my efforts to labor for the highest good and glory of my country, and ever to be loyal to Chemawa, this great school, and all for which it stands. ACADEMIC NOTES January 22 and 23 brings the mid-year tests in many of the industrial subjects and in the seventh grade geography and eighth grade history. Miss Lydia Bishard from Seattle reported Jan. 10 and the following day relieved Miss Thompson who has had charge of the adult primary classes. We re gret to lose Miss Thompson; she has many warm friends at Chemawa. Miss Bishard is a teacher of experience in public school work as w’ell as in the In dian schools; she has been employed at Tongue Riyer, Montana. At the students’ request Miss Weaver read the pleasing little story to the B Division in the assembly Wednesday that the A Division enjoyed the previous week. Miss Gunn gave a review of the situation in the Near East and the causes of the present unrest. Roy Courville and Sadie Napoleon covered recent hap penings of general importance in a few well chosen questions. Questions have been received from the office of the County Superintendent for those who were conditioned in certain subjects in the state examinations for the eighth grade last May. Anna Lee Thomas will take the history test and Robert Peratrovich will take the tests in history and spelling. Of the large number who took the examination for state diplomas there were only four failures. All of the sixth grade stu dents who took the physiology test in the state exam inations passed with good grades.
