Report-1838, November 25-B

Nov. 25, 1838. Report of Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 1838. “Manual-labor schools are what the Indian condition calls for.”

   The Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church has laid before the Department a plan, based upon the idea suggested, for establishing a large central school for the education of the western Indians. Into their scheme enter a farm, and shops for teaching the different mechanic arts. Experience, they say, has shown them ….that separate schools for the respective tribes … are not so useful as one common school for the benefit of all would be. They assert truly that a knowledge of the English language is necessary, and they think that it can be best acquired in an establishment of the latter description.”

[Reports of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1835-1838, p. 421.]

   The Methodist Episcopal Church have a mission among them, and have kept up a school for several years. This year they have had generally about 32; 11 of whom (8 girls and 3 boys) live in the mission family. Four of the girls read and write and have commenced the study of arithmetic; the other 4 can spell, and 2 of them can read. The 3 boys living in the missionary family are small, and are beginning to spell. Ten girls attend the school, who come from their homes; 1 of them can read, 7 spell, and 2 are at the alphabet. Eight boys attend the school who come from their homes; 5 of them read and write, and have commenced arithmetic; the other 3 can spell. Eleven of the girls have learned to sew, and 2 can weave.”

   There are 3 other boys, who have not attended the school this year, that have just got through their apprenticeship of the cabinet-making business in a mechanical shop connected with the mission. These 3 boys make some very respectable-looking furniture.”

   The Baptist board of foreign missions have a missionary establishment among this tribe, but no school for the last three years.

   The Quakers have also established a mission among them, and commenced a school, which was kept up only a few months, during the latter part of the year.

[Reports of Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1835-1839, p. 496.]