INDIVIDUAL INDIANS. 1. An appropriation of $205,000 for the administration of the affairs of the Five Civilized Tribes. 2. An appropriation of $5,000 to copy in book form Creek census cards. 3. An appropriation of $200,000 for the aid of common schools in eastern Oklahoma for the fiscal year 1921. 4. Provision for sanatoria, treating stations, physicians, and nurses, conveniently located, for the treatment and prevention of diseases. 5. Repeal of the law which authorizes restricted lands to be leased for agricultural purposes without Federal supervision. 6. Repeal of the law which provides that restricted lands shall become unrestricted immediately upon the death of the allottee. 7. Repeal of the law which authorizes the execution of valid wills. disposing of restricted property without departmental approval. 8. Provision for a Federal board of guardianship and administratorship of estates of minors and heirs to coordinate with the Federal Land Loan Board. CONCLUSION. I recommend immediate and ample appropriations for health facilities and for farmers and field matrons. Health and industry are indispensable to competency, happiness, and good citizenship. I urge the appropriation of $205,000 for the administration of the affairs of the Five Civilized Tribes. Considering the volume of necessary work, the increased cost of labor, materials, and expenses $185,000 is inadequate to support the character and scope of administration needed. To prevent a deficit of $20,000 during this year furloughs and curtailments of activities had to be effected for the months of April, May, and June. Justifications in detail will be submitted at the proper time. Respectfully, GABE E. PARKER, Superintendent for the Five Civilized Tribes. The honorable the COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF INDIAN SCHOOLS, FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES. OFFICE SUPERVISOR OF SCHOOLS, FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES, Muskogee, Okla., July 24, 1919. There is submitted herewith my annual report as supervisor of Indian schools of the Five Civilized Tribes for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1919. BOARDING SCHOOLS. Nine of the ten Indian boarding schools in this jurisdiction are maintained from tribal funds, the plants being owned by the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole Nations. The Chreokee Orphan Training School is a Government institution and is supported by congressional appropriation. Four of the schools enroll girls only, three boys exclusively, and three are coeducational. Superintendents endeavor to give preference in enrollment to children having a large degree of Indian blood who do not have good school facilities near their homes, but at the tribal schools this is not always practicable. Indian parents without regard to degree of blood are interested in tribal funds and usually the mixed bloods are more prompt to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by the boarding schools, but notwithstanding there were 1,111 restricted children of the 1,370 enrolled, or slightly more than 81 per cent of the total enrollment. The enrollment at the Cherokee school is limited by an act of Congress to orphan children of restricted Indian parents. The schools were visited frequently during the year and two reports of inspection were made on each. EMPLOYEES. There were five changes in superintendents during the year. Supt. Farver, of Armstrong Academy, resigned in August, 1918, to enter the Army, and Special Supervisor E. A. Porter was detailed to Armstrong and remained in charge until March, 1919, when the former superintendent was reinstated. Supt. Ransom, of the Cherokee School, resigned soon after the opening of the term and Mr. James P. Ryder, principal of the Sisseton Indian School, South Dakota, was appointed superintendent. Supt. Clark, of Nuyaka, was transferred to the Phoenix Indian School as chief clerk, and Mr. Jack Brown, who was formerly principal teacher at Nuyaka for three years, succeeded him. Supt. Dilbeck, of Tuskahoma, was transferred to Euchee to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Supt. Batson, and Miss Amanda Eld, principal at Tuskahoma for the past 14 years, was promoted to the superintendency of that school. There were not as many changes in subordinate positions as last year, and with few exceptions employees have rendered faithful, conscientious service. The superintendents have cooperated in maintaining a good standard of efficiency and generally speaking the social relations among employees have been harmonious, and they have shown a spirit of earnest, helpful cooperation. HEALTH AND SANITATION. None of the boarding schools escaped the epidemic of influenza which swept over the country last fall, and, all told, more than 700 cases were reported by superintendents. At Jones Academy the epidemic was especially virulent; 51 cases of pneumonia developed, followed by 6 deaths. There were 5 deaths at other schools, 11 altogether, which is a small number for the cases involved, considering the fatalities from the epidemic over the country. Under authority from the Indian Office, some of the schools employed special physicians and nurses, and in practically all of them school work was entirely suspended for a time, the employees who were not ill themselves assisting in caring for the sick. Aside from this epidemic, the health of pupils was exceptionally good and no deaths resulted from other causes. A field dentist visited two of the schools just before the close of the year and a special physician was at Mekusukey Academy in connection with his work among the Seminole Indians, but with these exceptions the schools have not been visited by a dentist and special physician for the past two years. The services of a dentist and a special physician could be profitably employed at the other schools during the ensuing year. There are no indoor gymnasiums, but playground apparatus is provided for each school, and in this climate, with the exception of a few days in the winter months, children play out of doors. The ordinary health rules are well observed, and sleeping apartments are well ventilated and lighted and the premises and buildings are kept in a sanitary condition. IMPROVEMENTS. Extensive new improvements have not been made at any of the schools with the exception of Bloomfield Seminary, where a heating plant was installed and a laundry equipped with modern machinery was built. A lavatory annex to the girls' dormitory, which provides additional bathing facilities, was completed at Cherokee, and just before the end of the fiscal year contracts were let for the construction of a shop building, dairy barn, and for wiring the buildings for electric lights at this school. Contracts were also awarded for a laundry building at Eufaula and for installing a heating plant at Wheelock. At Jones, Mekusukey, and Euchee the school barns were burned, but after a careful investigation of each case, it is not believed the fires were of an incendiary origin. The farmer's cottage at Tuskahoma also burned and the fire probably originated from defective wiring. The losses were partially covered by insurance and the full amounts of the policies were collected. New barns were built at Euchee and Jones, but there were not sufficient funds to rebuild at Mekusukey. The original buildings of the tribal schools are old and have been occupied a long time and much repair work is required each year to keep the plants in good condition. At some of the schools the allotments in recent years have not been sufficient to properly maintain them and make all of the necessary repairs, to say nothing of providing for new improvements. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. The appropriation of $250,000, provided for in the Indian bill approved May 25, 1918, for aid of common schools in the Five Tribes and Quapaw Agency, in Oklahoma, was distributed in accordance with departmental regulations approved August 23, 1918, as follows: Tuition at the rate of 10 cents a day for the actual attendance of Indian children of school age was paid to 1,218 districts from which attendance reports were received. Those districts in which incorporated towns were located received tuition for the attendance of only those Indian children who lived in the districts outside of the corporate limits. The total amount of tuition paid was $93,978.40. Rural districts where a tax of 5 or more mills was levied, received half of the amounts required in excess of a 5-mill levy to maintain an 8-months term, provided such districts increased their levies sufficiently to pay the balance of the required amounts. These payments were based upon the salaries of teachers, and $83,939.77 was paid to 502 districts. A final or per capita payment of 25 cents, based upon the total enumeration of all children of school age, was made to all districts outside of incorporated towns and cities, amounting to $55,809.75. In this payment 2,172 districts participated. The total amount disbursed was $233,727.92. The statements herewith give information concerning the enumeration and enrollment of Indian children in the public schools and the enrollment of Five Tribes pupils at contract, nonreservation, and tribal boarding schools. Respectfully submitted. The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. A. S. WYLY, Supervisor. |