CHEMAWA
AMERICAN
Printed at Chemawa, Oregon, and Devoted to the Interests of Indian Education
VOL. XXXIV
WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 1933
CHEMAWA AS A VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
NO. 18
to be desired. He is ready to enter industry and agri
By J ames T. R yan , Superintendent
culture beside his white brother, and is being accepted
Fifty years ago it was thought that but a few years in these capacities. We at Chemawa believe that the
of education would fit the Indian to take his place facilities here should be extended a little in order to
beside the white man in agriculture and industry. care only for vocational high school students with one
Time has passed and but a comparative few have prof- guidance year, which would mean dropping the sev
ited educationally as far as those two fields are con enth grade. Not only have our students made rapid
cerned. At Chemawa we find two groups of students advancement in vocational skill but also in academic
who have been successful; one group has entered the attainment. In the Brown Scholastic Test given this
Indian Service, the other has been permitted to secure year the lowest grade was equal to the average grade
sufficient definite trade training for skilled employment. of a year ago. The spirit at Chemawa is such as to
A third successful group is now developing comprising produce satisfactory personality, character, and tem
graduates who are completing
perament. The children are
college. Unskilled jobs decrease
happy» busy and making their
Illlllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllll
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
as the efficiency of the machine
plans for the future.
increases: Much of what consti
By making this school into a
tuted unskilled laborers’ work a
IVE me a boy who wants to full vocational high school with
few years ago is now done almost
make a model airplane. In one guidance year, a better ser
entirely by machine, such as ditch
helping him to work out that vice could be provided the Indian
digging, excavating, concrete job, I will teach him more mathemat youth of this section. Those
mixing, etc. There is but little ics, more drawing, and more English completing public high school
value in giving the Indian an than he could get in the average high might enter Chemawa to secure
education which will lead only to school course. C.C.The elementary intensive vocational training. By
unskilled work. If the capable schools are teaching children to read, no other means could funds be
Indians of the Northwest who write, and figure, which everybody better conserved than by train
have just reached the stage edu needs. Why not begin to teach older ing these children to become self-
cationally imbued with the desire students what they need?
supporting.
to enter industry and agriculture
—Charles Ricketson Allen
COG-WHEEL INITIATES
as skilled workers were to be de
nied the vocational education IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIII
On the evening of May 5 cer
which has for the past two years
tain outstanding vocational stu
been provided them at Chemawa, it would prolong the dents were presented to the Cog-Wheel as worthy
“Indian Problem,” for them seemingly, until this op candidates, and were fully taken into the mysteries and
portunity could be again opened.
secrets of this club, pledged to its ideals and purposes.
The Northwest Indian as a whole lacks the facilities
The boys with their chosen vocations are listed below: An
and the interest necessary to satisfactory reservation drew Desautel, carpentry; Elmer George, cooking; Alex Ray
life. His art is practically gone, and if he could be mond, tailoring; Milton Peters, shoe and leather; Leo
trained in it only a meager and uncertain living could Cottonior, auto mechanics; William Majhor, blacksmithing;
be earned by that means. The best of his land is gone Harold Berjs, engineering; Lawrence Horn, painting; Howard
baking; Collins Anderson, printing; Phillip Bran-
to the white man through forclosed mortgages, default Abbott,
cheau, machinist; Earl Brown, barbering.
ed taxes, and direct sales. Moral conditions on the
The Cog-Wheel is an honorary boys’ society to which
reservations are not what they should be, for where
there is lack of incentive to work there must result vocational students of the school may be admitted for
loss of pride. Interest must always be a prime factor unusual vocational attainment, or while at work out of
in man’s motives: He will do well that in which be is school for unusual service or attainment. Membership
interested. The Northwest Indian has lived on the each year is limited to one boy from each craft, but
verge of civilization and has acquired the desire to no boy shall be admitted except on proof of unusual
work at the white man’s trades, aconsumation greatly attainment.
G