$

TATISTICS are proverbially dull yet we venture to give a few in order to convey some idea of the magnitude of the problem the Federal Government has to solve in its endeavor to educate and otherwise fit for useful citizenship the American Indian of today.

There are over 300,000 Indians in the United States, the majority of them being located in the Western states, although some hundreds are found in each of the following states: Maine, New York, Mississippi and Florida. Oklahoma has more Indians than any other one state, over 100,000 while Arizona ranks second with 42,000. In all there are 217 tribes and bands, the distinction between a tribe and band of Indians being often loosely drawn-a band is the smaller division.

The Indians of Arizona are chiefly located on the various reservations, the tribes represented being the Navajo, Papago, Pima, Hopi, Havasupai, Maricopa, White Mountain Apache, Mojave-Apache, Walapai and ARIZONA INDIANS Yuma. The Navajo agency headquarters is located at Fort Defiance,

some Navajo coming under the jurisdiction of Tuba, Leupp and Keams Canon. The Papago have recently had assigned them by Executive Order a large reservation in Southern Arizona with headquarters at Indian Oasis. The Pima are divided between the Gila River reservation with headquarters at Sacaton and the Salt River reservation with headquarters at Saltriver, the Apache at old Fort McDowell also coming under this jurisdiction. The Hopi agency headquarters is at Keams Canon. The Havasupai Indians are at Supai, in the northern part of the state. The Maricopa come under the jurisdiction of the Gila River agency. The White Mountain Apache have two large agencies, at Whiteriver and San Carlos. The Mojave-Apache are located at the Fort Mojave and Colorado River consolidated agencies. The Walapai agency headquarters is at Valentine and the Yuma Indian agency is at Fort Yuma. The education of the Indians was first attempted by missionaries of various religious faiths and today there are 58 mission schools, both boarding and day, which are supported chiefly from funds donated by the differ- INDIAN SCHOOLS ent churches. Mission schools receive no Federal aid whatever, although they are required to comply with many of the regulations governing the Government schools and, with the permission of the Indians, are allowed to use some tribal and individual Indian's funds. The well-known school at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, founded by Gen. R. H. Pratt, was the pioneer of all Federal schools for the education of Indians. At the present time the Government maintains 22 non-reservation boarding schools, 71 reservation boarding schools and 212 reservation day schools. The non-reservation schools are situated remote from Indian reservations and their capacity varies from 100 to 750. The reservation boarding schools usually have a capacity of from 100 to 200. The day schools are situated in the Indian villages or settlements and generally accommodate about 40 children who return to their homes at night. The teachers of these day schools are required to reside at the school during the length of the term it is in session. There are about 30,000 Indian pupils enrolled in the various schools every year, the schools being officered by some 6,000 employees, of whom many are Indians.

The non-reservation schools are supported by direct specific Congressional appropriations. Reservation boarding and day schools are supported in some cases from tribal funds or Indian money, the most of them receiving Federal appropriations. With the exception of New York no state has ever assumed any responsibility for Indian schools, but with very few exceptions Indian children are admitted to the public schools. The ultimate aim of the Government is to merge all Indian schools into the public school systems of the various states.

Phoenix Indian School is co-educational and including the sanatorium which is operated in connection with the school has a capacity of 700. The school is supported entirely by annual Federal appropriations, averagSCHOOL ing about $135,000. There is a force of 72 employees of whom

PHOENIX INDIAN

12 are academic teachers. Students are received from about 40 different tribes, at ages varying from 14 to 20 years, who enroll for a period of three to five years. This enrollment is voluntary, but once enrolled the pupil must remain for the entire period of enrollment.

We teach our girls sewing, cooking, laundering, nursing and general home-making industries. The boys receive instruction in agriculture, including care of dairy and garden, poultry husbandry, blacksmithing, painting, engineering and electric work, plumbing and sheet metal work, printing, tailoring and harness-making. The course in these trades covers four years and is known as the vocational division of the course of study and follows the completion of the sixth grade; hence our graduates have the equivalent of two years' high school work, besides their industrial training. One-half of each day is spent in industrial work.

We are often asked "What becomes of your students when they return to the reservation?" It should be remembered that Indians are individuals, "even as you and I," and are as different one from the other as are members of any other race. Some succeed, others fail, depending on the same qualities that make for success or failure with us. The average of the students making beneficial use of their education is high, while practically none "return to the blanket," and very few come to us from the blanket.

Yes; we sincerely believe that it pays to educate the Indian, or we would not be here.