The Chemawa American, October 22, 1930, Image 1

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OREGON STATE LIÈRARY
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OCT 2 5 1930
CHEM AW AfAM ERIC AN
Printed at Chemawa, Oregon, and Devoted to the Interests of Indian Education
OREGON
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Wednesday, Oct. 22, 1930
T E N ACRES OF IN D IA N S
A most interesting article irom the pen of Iyouese Frem an
appeared in a recent issue of H ealth F irst concerning con­
ditions at the Burns, O r., Indian School. Burns is in South­
eastern Oregon and is in many respects quite isolated. We are
of the opinion that the article in question will be of more than
ordinary interest to our readers, so here it is:
Ten acres of Indians! Doesn’t that sound interest­
ing? If in spite of the sage-brush, the ticks and the
profusely scattered tin cans, we can aid in the develop­
ment of clean, good, law-abiding Indian citizens, the
attempt will not have been in vain.
A mile and a-half west of Burns proper, lies this
Paiute Indian Village and to this post I was detailed
for a period of six months to help relieve and eradicate
the terrible eye disease, tracoma, so prevalent among
Indians. Secondly, to formulate some kind of con­
structive health program. Interesting? Yes, indeed.
Here I found ten acres in not the choicest location,
boasting twenty little two-room houses of wood con­
struction, set in a square, save for one line of three
houses on one inside of said square, housing upwards
of 120 people. To further complete the square we
have in one corner an all modern “ teacherage” hous­
ing a fine schoolroom, quarters for teacher and family,
a government dining room for children where an ex­
cellent noon-day meal is furnished, and a kitchen and
bath. Off the school room we have a fine bath room
and it shows much wear, I ’ll assure you. Beside this
is a water-tower, a public bath with four showers, hot
and cold water, a public laundry with six stationary
tubs, and many a fine looking washing have I seen on
the lines at this upit, and that on a Monday morning.
These people are a primitive, suspicious people in
spite of the long contact they have had with their
white neighbors, and I've found intakes a long time
to get their confidence and interest in the betterment
of their surroundings. They are good workers and
always willing and ready to help. Never have I had
an Indian refuse any sort of task asked of him and if
at any time my car was stalled between the unit and
town,—for roads are bad,—a whole village of Indians
would come to my assistance.
Making rounds on the campus, which by the way is
done daily, keeps one in close contact with these peo­
ple and I note, on such days as I pass up a house or
two, they are prone to remind me and ask the why
and wherefore. That helps. On such rounds one
notes, clean windows, highly polished in many homes,
an attempt at bettering the interiors of these homes.
No. 7
Some are fair, while others are still so that I cannot
even see any betterment, yet on the whole they are
much better.
Now our schoolroom—capacity 25 desks. There
you will find mounted the finest kind of busy work,
enough blackboard spacing, with work on it such as
would be worthy of competition with any white school
room of the same grade. Good looking faces, black
heads, blacker eyes and to me, they are indeed a fine
group.
Here too one notes—especially a stranger—much
timidity, but education, time and effort will soon erad­
icate that. We have an enrollment of 23 or more
with seventeen of pre-school age and it is the last
named that I have especially been interested in and
they respond splendidly. None of our children are
below par in weight but it is indeed hard to teach the
needs of sanitation where seventeen like above men­
tioned, thrive so well in their surroundings.
We enjoyed a good winter, school attendance was
not broken into badly but we kept vigilant daily in­
spection, weeding out “ suspects” isolating and treat­
ing same and so the winter has gone and we have no
scabies, no impetigo, so characteristic of these people,
and no epidemics. To date we had one case of mumps,
very mild.
Bye treatments were started in the school room.
They responded beautifully. Tittle by little adults
and the real-old fell in line and finally an order was
issued whereby no Indians could seek employment
from the whites, who needed and refused eye treat­
ment.
Winter months are mostly idle months, save for
trapping, on any of our Indian Reservations yet many
of our men worked most of the winter at the sawmill
here and each evening took their eye treatments. Re­
sults are much better than could be expected in so
short a time of treatment.
Right now yards are being raked, trees are being
planted around two or three homes. A frugal begin­
ning, but a trend in the right direction. This year
we have added much needed playground equipment,
hoping to help hold the interest of our children at
home instead of on the streets of Burns. We have
‘ ‘teeter totters, ’ ’ basket ball court and equipment. A
slide and swings will soon be put up. At play you
can pick out, most any day, a Red, no let’s say “ Black
Grange,” Babe Ruth and I am quite sure we have a
Jack Dempsey.
The children are interested in athletics and are good
athletes. They are especially fond of movies and one
(Continued on page 4)