CHEMAWA
AMERICAN
Printed at Chemaua, Oregon, and Devoted to the Interests of Indian Education
Wednesday, Jan. 7, 1931
Vol. XXXII
HOME LIFE FOU^ BE^J'FOR ORPHANS
♦
Note: Early in his i^ministrat^jS^ecretary Wi 'bur announced
that Indian Schools weify^kn^t^to be conducted as orphan asy
lums and reform schools.—are a considerable number of
homeless children in our Indian boarding: schools. Many of these
children are practically white and the only reason they are in our
schools is because of poor home conditions, or because they have
no homes. The following: article should be of interest to those of
us in the Indian service who have long- believed that a large board
ing school is at best a poor home for a child—Indian as well as
white. Here is food for thought for all of us.—O. H. L.
The orphan has a far better chance for future hap
piness and success if raised in a home, preferably' an
owned home, than if he is raised in the most model
institution, says Carroll H. Sudler of Chicago, presi
dent of the Illinois Children’s Home and Aid Society.
This organization that is given $100,000 a year for
its work by the county and several times that amount
by private supporters, has not established the custo
mary orphan asylum for the unfortunate children for
whom it cares, but boards them in carefully selected
individual homes.
And when children are given into the custody of
this agency because their home life is such that the
courts have had to step in or because of other misfor
tune, the society makes strenuous efforts to rehabilitate
these homes. The society workers try to reconcile
parents who have separated, to reform drunken fathers
and mothers, bring aid to homes in which the bread
winner lies ill, secure work for the unemployed—all
this effort because the society believes that home en
vironment is essential to child welfare.
Society’s Work f amous
Wards of the juvenile courts in all sections of the
state are cared for by this organization that supports
a daily average of 1800 children, and the success of
its methods is well known to those interested in social
service work. Here is what Mr. Sudler, who is a
business man working without pay, says about the
society’s policy on orphan asylums:
“I believe that social agencies engaged in caring
for orphans and unfortunate children are getting
away from the asylum or institution idea. In the
days when Dickens wrote Oliver Twist, orphan
asylums were pitiful places. As time went on, and
influential people interested themselves in the plight
of children relegated to such institutions, conditions
were improved until today we have model institutions
where the inmates are given the best possible care.
“But no institution, however well organized, can
give a child the blessings found in an individual home,
however modest. No group of trustees or paid care
takers can give a child the cheer and warmth and in
spiration it can get in a home, even if that home is
not its own. No board of directors can give a child
a mother’s good-night kiss. Even if that mother is
not the child’s own mother, it is the next best thing.
No. 17
All Placed in Homes
“Most of our children are placed in very modest
homes in which the family may or may not already
have children. These families are carefully investi
gated and our system provides for periodical checking
up through the years to be sure that the child is faring
well. Most of the homes receive no cash consideration
for the care of the children they take from us.
“In addition to a large number of children legally
adopted, nearly 1100 are in free foster homes without
adoption, and we have always between 400 and 500
children in carefully selected homes at board. The
last group includes many children who, because of
physical or mental handicaps, need special care, and
also includes children who need temporary care while
efforts are being made to re-establish their homes.
“We do everything possible to build up broken
homes, so deeply do we believe in the home idea for
the child.
“The system works. During the time the society
has followed this plan we have seen children grow up
in these homes and go out into the world. In almost
every instance, I would say that the child is better
equipped to face the world than if it had been raised
in the best type of institution.
In addition, that
child has a heritage of a home background—memories
and associations that will influence it to give the same
thing to its children and thus make the home seem
good and desirable through the years.”—T he O re
gonian .
OUR CHRISTMAS EVENTS
The Yuletide season is now but a memory—a pleas
ant memory for all at Chemawa we are certain. There
were many events of a nature to bring joy to all of us.
Space in this issue will not be sufficient to allow us
the privilege of more than “mere mention” in many
cases but we are pleased to be able to do that much.
The start of our Christmas observances was made
with a pageant on the Sunday evening previous to the
day itself. Mention was made of this in our last issue,
so wre will pass on to later affairs. On Wednesday
afternoon the various classes had Christmas trees in
their school rooms. In the evening there were trees
in the dormitories and everywhere there was joy su
preme.
On Christmas Eve Mrs. Turney and Miss Judd es
corted a number of our choir members about the cam
pus and sang Christmas carols. They sang well and
gave joy to all.
Both the Protestant and Catholic organizations held
various functions in commemoration of Christmas and
(Continued on page 3;