Report-1851, May 26

Office Supnt Indian Affairs
St. Louis May 26, 1851

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   Sir: During my late trip to the Indian Country, in obedience to your instructions, I visited the Shawnee Mission for the purpose of examining, and reporting the condition of that institution.

   On the day of my examination (1st May) I found the school to consist of 21 Indian boys, and 4 white boys. In the female Department, I found 25 girls 3 of whom were white–making the whole number of scholars present on that occasion, fifty of both sexes and colors. There was a separate room occupied exclusively by white boys and girls–28 in number; these latter were the children of frontier inhabitants whose education was paid for by their parents or friends.

   I found upon a brief examination that a few of the Indian scholars of both sexes had made some progress in spelling and reading, and two of the boys understand the rudiments of arithmetic– Owing to the absence of Mr. Johnson, the Superintendent, and also that of the principal teacher, I was unable to procure such statistical, and other information as I desired and needed in order to enable me to make out a satisfactory, or useful report. I regretted to learn however, that but few of the boys ever acquired much knowledge of agriculture or the Mechanic arts. This I learn (from those who have opportunities of knowing) arises partly from the indisposition of the boys to engage in manual labor, and to some extent to a want of zeal on the part of those whose business it is to instruct them. The indisposition of the boys to labor will be readily understood, when you reflect, that whenever they arrive at an age and size where their labor and skill would be profitable–they and their parents are not willing for them to labor for a bare and poor subsistence, without any promise or prospects of a pecuniary reward. It will also be readily understood that nothing but great zeal in the cause would induce the teachers to trouble themselves with the tuition of boys, that will be sure to leave them as soon as their labor becomes valuable.

   Could the proceeds or profits of the farm (which is one of the finest and most productive in the Western country) be so arranged as to inure to the benefit of the Indians themselves, the result would be widely different. But unfortunately this is not the case; the profits {which are very great} all go to enrich those who are so fortunate as to have the management of the institution, and I am informed by gentlemen who have best opportunities of knowing, that the Superintendents of this institution never fail to make fortunes within the course of 4 or 5 years; at which time they retire to make room for some poorer brother. These remarks are not intended as a reproach to the gentlemen who have heretofore had charge of the establishment, but merely to show that the Indians ought to derive a greater amount of good from the expenditure of their own money.

   The tribe having most cause of complaint I think are the Delawares. At the time of my visit, there was only one Delaware scholar at the mission, and she a small half breed. The teachers who were present very frankly confessed that they had no hopes of ever being able to induce the Delawares to send their children to the school of the Shawnee Mission; this they attributed to the jealous interference of rival missionaries–of the truth of this I had no means of judging.

   The mill built by the Society as a part of their agreement with the Delawares, I am sorry to say, is of no use to the Indians, or to any one else, and never will be.

   In conclusion, I will give it as my opinion, that the money annually paid to missionary societies for the purpose of educating the Indians, could be better used for that purpose by the resident Agents of the Government; particularly as the societies have within the last few years introduced politics in its most beneful form into the Indian country– l mean the political question growing out of the subject of negro slavery. This hateful question has already scattered religious and civil discord and contentions among several of the border tribes, and the evil is rapidly increasing, fostered and cherished as it is by some of the misguided missionaries.

Respectfly
(Signed) D.D. Mitchell
supt Ind Afr.

Hon. L. Lea
Com. Ind. Affairs.

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[Superintendency of Indian Agency, St. Louis, v. 9, p. 325.]