Weekly Chemawa American., July 03, 1908, Image 1

VOL. 11
JULY 3, 1908.
NO. 2
Educating Alaskans
The young people of Alaska are awak
ening to the need of more knowlege.
In past years many have gone 1 to the
Government industrial schools at Car
lisle, Pa., and Chemawa, Ore. Many
more are anxious to go. A large number
have received a few years' training at
Sitka. Each year brings us new pupils,
hut the ; average , age of our pupils
is decreasing in years. Pupils return-,
ing from the Government Schools bring
back glowing reports of the excellent
equipment of. those institutions and
their facilities for teaching the trades.
As a consequence almost every boy from
thirteen years up has visions of getting
into some of these great schools. He
knows that a skilled carpenter, engineer,
machinist or sawmill . man commands
good wages in Alaska. ,
Last summer, as I was making a hur
ried trip to Oregon, one of our most
successful native workers in another
Southeastern Alaska town said to hie:
"If you have a chance to speak to the
Christian people down there tell them
the Government is very kind to let our
young people go to their schools. They
teach them many good things. ; When
our boys and girls come bac r they speak
English very well. .; Tell the people in
the States that at our Sitkra school the
boys and girls learn how to live-how to.
meet the temptations of life and ' over
come them in .the name of pur Saviour.
Tell them, too, that we want our
school at Sitka to teach them how to do.
things with their hands just as ' well as
do the Government industrial schools."
This thorough Christian man, after;
watching these native young people come
and1 go for a number of years; kney that
these people so weak morally and so
bound by heathenish traditions of many
generations -must have Christianity if
they would succeed -as .men and -women
of : strong lives. Education I .without
Christianity avails little or nothing in
this day, of temptations. , , i ; ,
The Industrial Training, School at
Sitka is the only one of , its kind in Alas
ka. , Our Boys' Home and girls' ; Home
aire old buildings , somewhatdilapidated
and, of course, make the work, especially
for pur r matrons, 5 , trying arid , difficult.
However, in spite of difficulties, the. work
has moved steadily along. .. The girls
have done well in the sewing-room and
have been, on the; whole, : careful, , and
: 3! (Continued on page 8.; ; -