74TH CONGRESS 1st Session } SENATE { REPORT No. 474 QUEETS, WASH.-COOPERATION WITH PUBLIC-SCHOOL BOARD IN CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDING APRIL 11 (calendar day, APRIL 12), 1935.-Ordered to be printed Mr. THOMAS of Oklahoma, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 1534] The Committee on Indian Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (S. 1534) to provide funds for cooperation with public-school board at Queets, Wash., in the construction or improvement of public-school building to be available to Indian children of the village of Queets, Wash., having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it do pass without amendment. This is in accord with the present education policy of cooperating whenever feasible with local public-school authorities in the schooling of Indian children. This district takes great interest in the Indian children attending local public schools and has accommodated the school system to their needs to a considerable extent. Formerly, three schools were operated in Clearwater Public School District No. 20, Jefferson County, Wash. One of the three was abandoned a year or two ago for lack of means for financial support. Of the two remaining, one was operated for Indian children in an old log building owned by the Government formerly known as the "Queets Day School." This building was in such poor condition that its further use for school purposes was impossible. After consultation between the local Indian superintendent and the school officials, it was decided that the best means of meeting the needs of the district was a consolidated school building which would be centrally located for both Indians and whites. This would be more economical than two separate buildings, and of great importance to our service, would place white and Indian children together in the classrooms. At the outset the district believed it was impossible to raise money toward the new plant. However, on November 10, 1932, the school board voted to acquire a new site on which to build a consolidated school for both whites and Indians, and on Friday night, December 11, 1934, the Clearwater School District No. 20 formally dedicated the new plant. The school cares for both whites and Indians and costs something over $22,000. It is of the unit type as the district was unable to raise sufficient money to construct a building adequate for its needs. The district has bonded itself to the limit and obtained funds from every conceivable source to make the present accomplishment possible. So far as it goes, the new plant is modern in every respect. Condemnation of the former Queets school was the first incentive toward the new building which has been designed to accommodate Indian children as well as whites, and which will enable the district to educate its children at a more reasonable cost than providing separate schools. No segregation of Indians is contemplated and at the dedication service, Indians and whites sat together and Indians took their place with whites in the dedication program. An appropriation to complete this school plant seems justified by the conditions. Payment of tuition for Indian children would be continued at a rate considered reasonable for some years at least or until conditions so change that it becomes unnecessary and provided always that Congress makes appropriations for the purpose. nearly half the children enrolled are Indians, contribution to the plant by the Federal Government seems clearly justified. S. 1534 would provide $10,000 for the purpose. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs and other officials of the Bureau of Indian Affairs personally appeared before the committee and manifested their approval of this bill. The Secretary of the Interior personally favors this proposed legislation, but he states that the Director of the Budget advises that it would not be in accord with the financial program of the President. The Secretary of the Interior's letter, dated April 8, 1935, is appended hereto and made a part of this report as follows: Hon. ELMER THOMAS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Chairman Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This is in further reference to your recent request for a report on S. 1534, proposing to provide funds for cooperation with the school board at Queets, Wash., in the construction of a public-school building, to be available for Indian children. This is in Clearwater Public School District No. 20, Jefferson County. This district has been operating 3 schools, 1 of which was abandoned a year or two ago because of inability to conduct 3 separate schools. One of these schools has been operated in an old log building owned by the Government and formerly used for a Government Indian day school. The Indian Office has authorized payment of tuition for Indian children attending this school at a rate of 60 cents per day for attendance of 40 Indian children during the current fiscal year. We are informed that 26 are in actual attendance. There are apparently 30 additional white children who would attend the consolidated centrally located school, provided funds can be secured for a suitable building. On November 10, 1932, the school board voted to acquire a new site on which to build a consolidated school for both whites and Indians, and on Friday night, December 11, 1934, the Clearwater School District No. 20 formally dedicated the new school plant. This school cares for both whites and Indians and cost something over $22,000. It is of the unit type, as the district was unable to raise sufficient money to construct a building adequate to its needs. We are informed that the district has bonded itself to the limit and obtained funds from every conceivable source to make its present accomplishment possible. So far as it goes, the present plant is modern in every respect. Condemnation of the former Queets school, enrolling Indian children, was the first incentive toward the new building, which has been centrally located, and when complete facilities are available can care for all of the children of the district to much better advantage and at a more reasonable cost than operation of the former three poor separate school plants. We are informed that there are at present 58 children in the school, 25 Indians and 33 whites. The new location is central as regards the Indians, and the building is suitably located both as to Indians and whites. No segregation of Indians is contemplated, and the records show that in the dedication service Indians and whites sat together and Indians took their place with whites in the dedication program. An appropriation to complete this school plant and thus provide adequate facilities for all the children of the district, both white and Indian, has been recommended by the Indian fiield service. Payment of tuition for Indian children in the school would be continued at a rate mutually considered reasonable for some years at least, or until conditions so change that it becomes unnecessary and provided always that Congress makes appropriations for the purpose. nearly one-half of the children enrolled are Indians, contribution toward the plant by the Federal Government seems clearly justified. As While I personally favor enactment of S. 1534, the Acting Director of the Bureau of the Budget, under date of March 19, 1935, advises that the proposed legislation would not be in accord with the financial program of the President. Sincerely yours, T. A. WALTERS, Acting Secretary of the Interior. SHANNON COUNTY, S. DAK.-COOPERATION WITH SCHOOL BOARD IN CONSTRUCTION OF CONSOLIDATED HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING APRIL 11 (calendar day, APRIL 12), 1935.-Ordered to be printed Mr. THOMAS of Oklahoma, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 1537] The Committee on Indian Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (S. 1537) to provide funds for cooperation with public-school board of Shannon County, S. Dak., in the construction of a consolidated highschool building to be available to both white and Indian children, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it do pass without amendment: This measure is in accord with the present Indian policy of developing Indian education locally wherever possible. The program of education on the Pine Ridge Reservation has developed to the point where a combined high school for both white and Indian children is highly desirable. Indian boys and girls of secondary school age hitherto sent away to nonreservation boarding schools are being retained on the reservation for practical training directly related to their own needs. This has increased the number of boys and girls available for high-school work to a considerable degree. There are now about 255 Indian children on the Pine Ridge Reservation enrolled in the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades and 295 in the 7th and 8th grades, making about 500 children in need of training at the highschool level. Local school authorities estimate that there are 50 white children who would attend the consolidated vocational high school. The educational situation at Pine Ridge is therefore overwhelmingly an Indian one. Moreover, all but a very small percentage of the land within the Pine Ridge Reservation is nontaxable Indian land. State resources are not available to finance construction. The measure proposed will make possible a better type of education for both whites and Indians at a much lower cost than will be necessary to set up these facilities away from the reservation. |