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*Pottawatomies bavo 1 missionary school.

+ Delaware school-return included in Wichita.

Peorias, Senecas, Wyandotts, Miamies, and Shawnees included in Quapaws school return. || None.

Kiowas and Apaches included in Comanche school-return.

§ Weas,

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There is some difference between the figures of the Indian Bureau and those of the Indian board which are given in preceding table. These differences are not very material, the principal ones being, by the commissioners' report, an addition of 1,000 each in the population of the Choctaws and Chickasaws, making them 22,000 in all. The statistics of education in the five nations are given in the report, as follows:

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This shows a difference in the two statements of 4 schools and 3 teachers in favor of the peace commissioners' tables, and of 276 scholars for the Bureau's regular annual report. Among the schools are three for the colored people forming part of the Cherokee Nation; also an orphan asylum, in which 54 children are supported. The Creeks support one boarding-school, and the Choctaws and Chickasaws support two; besides, each nation maintains a number of students at colleges in different States. The Cherokees have recently revived their female seminary, under good auspices. There is a prevailing criticism among those interested in education there, to the effect that children of the full-blood Indians speak Cherokee at home and in familiar intercourse only, and that, as a consequence, though they learn to read, spell, and write in English, they do not really understand or master it. The amount of real work to be done among these people can be appreciated by an estimate of percentage of school attendance with the population. Taking the table before given as a basis, and the total number of Indians in the five civilized nations, with a few small bodies located in the northeastern portion, we have the aggregate of 49,982, while the total number of scholars is but 4,439, or about 1 in every 10.2 persons. With the large amount of funds at their disposal, the larger average of real and personal wealth they possess, and their favorable location, these nations ought to do better. There is great need of a normal college, not alone for the training of Indian teachers, but the imparting of a higher education to their youth in all the higher and practical paths of life.

According to the complete tabular statements, it appears that the number of bushels of grain raised in the whole Territory was 6,739,335, of the value of $4,663,615; that the number of horses, cattle, &c., owned there was 464,465, of the value of $4,947,121; while the number of tons of hay cut was 8.508, valued at $73,149; and the value of furs sold was $302,700; being a total valuation of produce, stock, &c., of $9,986,588. The total valuation of property, real and personal, is $16,987,818, excluding real estate, and of stocks, $4,342,707.883, both of which are held in commou.

New Mexico and Colorado are the only Territories exceeding these figures, which in their totals speak well for the Indian population.

The five nations, in proportion to the whole population, possess about six-sevenths of the individual property, and cultivate about twenty-five times as many acres as the other tribes. The proportion is similar throughout. The Indian peace commissioners' reports state that the Chickasaws and Choctaws maintained three missions, and have a church-membership of 12,500; the Creeks have three missions, and 2,050 church members; the figures are not given for the Cherokees and Seminoles. That these Indians have mental power of a high order has been made manifest in all their history, but in no instance so conspicuously as in that of the inventor of the Cherokee alphabet, George Guess, or "Sequoyah," whose ability deserves renewed recognition.

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THE INVENTION OF THE CHEROKEE ALPHABET

excited at the time of its introduction the astonishment of philosophers in this country and in Europe, and as it has an important bearing in connection with educational movements generally, an account of its progress and history, the work of genius throughout, is thought worthy of being brought forward at the present time, the data for which are found in a carefully-prepared article by Elias Boudinot, himself a Cherokee, and published in the "Annals of Education" in April, 1832. Mr. Boudinot makes use in part of statements by Mr. Knapp in a lecture on "American literature," and which may be relied upon, as they were derived from Sequoyah himself.

Mr. Knapp says that when a delegation of the Cherokees visited Washington in the

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winter of 1828, Sequoyah, the inventor of the Cherokee alphabet, accompanied them. His English name was George Guess; he was a half-blood, but had never spoken a word of English up to the time of his invention.

The substance of an examination of Sequoyah, through the medium of two interpreters, was this: That he, Sequoyah, was now about sixty-five years old; that in early life he was gay and talkative, and although he never attempted to speak in council but once, yet was often, from his fine colloquial powers, the story-teller of the convivial party. His reputation for talents of every kind gave him some distinction when he was quite young, so long ago as Saint Clair's defeat. About this time a letter was found on the person of a prisoner, which was wrongly read by him to the Indians. The question then arose among the Indians as to the mysterious power of the talking leaf, some believing that it was the gift of the Great Spirit to the white man; but George Guess maintained that it was the discovery of the white man himself. Deprived of the excitement of war and the pleasures of the chase, in consequence of the lameness of a knee which rendered him a cripple, his mind was directed to the mystery of the power of speaking by letters.

The inventive powers of Sequoyah were put in active operation, while he had to contend with the prejudices of some of his nation, who believed that the knowledge of letters belonged only to the white man. He was not dissuaded, however, from an attempt to prepare an alphabet for his people. He knew that feelings and passions were conveyed by different sounds from one intelligent being to another, and the thought struck him to try to ascertain all the sounds in the Cherokee language. In this he had the aid of his wife and children; and when he thought he had distinguished all the different sounds in their language, he used pictorial signs of birds and beasts to convey an idea of these sounds to others, but soon dropped this method, as difficult or impossible, and tried arbitrary signs, distinguishable from each other.

For about a year he tried the plan of making a character for each word, in which time he put down several thousand characters, but became convinced that his object was not to be attained in that way. After trying other methods, he hit upon the idea. of dividing the words into parts, or syllables. He soon found, to his great gratification, that the same characters would apply in different words, and that the number would be comparatively few. After putting down all the syllables he could think of, he would listen to speeches and the conversation of strangers, and would make a character for any new syllable. In this way he succeeded in completing his system.

As representatives of these syllabic sounds, he adopted a number of English letters, taken from a spelling-book. Even then he had about two hundred characters in his alphabet; but, by the aid of his daughter, who entered into the genius of his labors, he reduced them at last to eighty-six.

As yet he had no knowledge of the pen as an instrument, but made his characters on a piece of bark with a knife or nail. He soon after procured paper and a pen, and made his own ink from some bark of the forest trees, whose coloring property he knew. Even when his system was completed, be found much difficulty in persuading people to learn it. But going to Arkansas Territory he taught a few people there at first, one of whom wrote a letter to some friends in the Cherokee country and sent it by Sequoyah, who read it to the people. It was a difficult matter to make his invention known among his people, as he had been so long abstracted from their usual pursuits that he was viewed with suspicion. To convince them of the reality of Iris invention, he summoned some of the more distinguished of his nation, and after explaining the matter to them, his daughter, who was his only pupil, was directed to go out of hearing while he put down any word or sentiment which his friends named, and then she was called in and read it to them; then the father retired, and the daughter wrote. The Indians were astonished, but not convinced. It was at length agreed that the tribe should select several youths from among their brightest young men, that they might be taught. After several months' instruction, an examination was made by various tests, which destroyed all infidelity on the part of the nation and fixed their faith most firmly. The Indians made this the occasion of a great feast, at whieh Sequoyah was conspicuous, and he became at once schoolmaster, professor, philosopher, and chief, hold in reverence by his nation as one favored by the Great Spirit.

When the usefulness of the Cherokee alphabet became fully developed, it spread through the nation in an unprecedented manner, and reading and writing soon became common. It is worthy of remark, however, that it was for some time confined to the more obscure individuals, the others not considering it of sufficient importance. To increase its utility the council of the nation had a font of type cast and a newspaper printed in the English and Cherokee languages. About two hundred copies of this newspaper were soon circulated weekly, and read by numbers in every section of the country. At a convention of gentlemen held at New Echota, six years after the invention of the alphabet, it was calculated that upward of one-half of the adult males could read and write in their own language.

Since then several books have been printed in these characters, and at the present timo these are in use. A Cherokee newspaper is also printed in the nation. The

Cherokee language is, however, being discarded by the more intelligent, only about twothirds using it commonly. The apathy of the full-bloods hinders progress in this as well as other directions. The pressure from without is growing stronger. It is to be regretted that activity from within does not fully create a sufficient counter-force.

OTHER TRIBES IN THE TERRITORY.

A closer distinction ought in justice to be made, as the Senecas and Shawnees making 3,030; the Quapaws, 240 strong; the Ottawas, 150; the Peorias, or confederated tribes, numbering. 160; the Absentee Shawnees, 663; the Sacs and Foxes, 463-in all, 4,706 souls-are, as a rule, in a condition of civilization quite equal to the five large tribes. They are collectively in possession of reservations covering an area of 709,760 acres. The Absentee Shawnees hold their lands by allotment. Their school facilities are limited, but the privileges thereof could be readily made available. The tribes just emerging are the Osages, Kickapoos, Kaws, Wichitas, Caddoes, and some much smaller bands, while those that require steady and vigilant oversight are the quite powerful tribes of Kiowas, Comanches, Apaches, Arapahoes, and Southern Cheyennes, numbering in all 3,990.

INDIANS IN DAKOTA, MONTANA, AND IDAHO.

These three Territories embrace the most powerful of the nomadic tribes now remaining in the United States, and hence their condition is necessarily an interesting feature of this review. Foremost among them is the Sioux Nation, embracing many bands, and numbering 26,216 persons, mostly living in Dakota, though the Ogallalas are mainly in Wyoming. The facts relative to the several tribes within the assigned geographical limits are as follows:

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There is something more favorable than the above statement to be said in regard to the Indians in Idaho. The Nez Percés are, as a rule, more advanced than their school statistics would indicate. There has been something of disturbance and conflict among them in the past.

Great progress is reported during the past year. Favorable results are also reported from other tribes in that Territory, while the Dakota Sioux are being placed yearly in more favorable conditions for both restraint and training in the arts of peace.

During the past year the Interior Department has succeeded in opening friendly relations with the heretofore hostile Sioux and fragments of other tribes and bands who have for some years past made portions of Montana debatable ground between themselves and the white pioneers. There is opportunity in the Northwest for a comprehensive policy and a better chance, when it is begun fairly, to teach and train the growing generation of Indians. A special effort should be made on the more advanced reservations in Dakota and Idaho to organize manual-labor schools, into which children might be brought, cared for wholly, and educated to new conditions. A special effort should be made to reach the females, for, as the Cherokees have already proved, there may be many bright boys turned out of school, but unless their homes have an elevating influence and their sisters and female associates are their equals, retrogression will, as a rule, be more rapid than their progress.

THE INDIANS OF WYOMING, COLORADO, UTAH, AND NEVADA.

The Territories and State named fall naturally in a geographical group, and the condition of the Indian population, which is at the lowest ebb, also justifies the treating of them under one head.

WYOMING.

A large body of Ogallala Sioux are found just within the borders of Wyoming, but have been mentioned in connection with Dakota, where they properly belong. The only Indian tribes permanently located in Wyoming are the Eastern Shoshones, numbering above 1,000. There are roving bands of Cheyennes, Arapahoes, Sioux, &c., but they are interlopers, and will, as the lines of settlement and travel press closer, be brought on to their reservations.

The Shoshones have had a large reservation assigned them, but, owing to the incursions of hostile Sioux and others, have not remained thereon. There is oue school established, under the charge of an Episcopal missionary, with ten scholars, and recently the chiefs have shown a desire to settle their people and engage in stock-raising, and have schools established among them.

COLORADO.

In Colorado there are about 3,800 Indians, 3,000 of them belonging to the Tabequache band of Utes at Los Pinos, and the Yampa and Uintah Utes at the White River agency. The latter number 800. These bands are native to this region, and are now in possession of a very valuable territory, embracing 14,784,000 acres, for the transfer of a large portion of which to the Government, efforts, but partially successful, have been made during the past year. The Tabequache Utes have thus far shown no interest in education, while at the White River agency a small school has been in operation for some time past. The Unitarians have this in their charge, and have just established one at Los Pinos. There are 41 scholars and 1 teacher at the latter place, and 6 pupils and 1 teacher at the former. The Los Pinos school is organized on the industrial plan.

UTAH.

The Indians in Utah are under the charge of two agencies, that of the Shoshones, numbering 3,000, belonging to three bands, and that of the Utes, consisting of ten bands and numbering 8,300; in all, 11,300. The Shoshones have no reservation, are thorough nomads, are difficult to reach, and show no desire for schools or other agents of the "white man's" life. The Utes have a reservation of 2,039,040 acres in the Uintah Valley, but the bands are generally migratory and warlike. No school has been established. The comment made, in the last annual review on this subject, as to the lack of interest in the Indians' welfare exhibited by the Mormon community controlling this Territory, loses no force by repetition.

NEVADA

has an Indian population of about 12,500, divided into five tribes or bands; two of Pal and Pi Utes, and the others, Washoes, Shoshones, and Bannocks. The Pah-Utes number 6,000, and have two reservations of 320,000 acres each, are quiet, peaceable, very poor, have no schools, and are generally left to their own devices for subsistence and habits. The Pi-Utes number 2,500, have no treaty, contract, or reservation, and no aid, in any shape, is given them. They are very poor, generally steal for a living, though a few engage in farming. No schools are mentioned.

The Washoes are a miserable and drunken remnant of vagabonds and beggars, with no agent in charge and no reservation, settlement, or school. The Shoshones are under the Utah agency for the same people. They number about 2,000, while the Bannocks, about 1,500 in all, are probably to be removed to the Fort Hall reservation, Idaho. No schools or missions exist in Nevada.

Taking this exhibit, and the condition of the Indians, estimated at 26,600 souls, living in the great area designated, it is not very encouraging to them or flattering to the "superior" race with whom they have, for twenty years or more, been brought into contact.

INDIANS IN NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA.

The condition of this population in both these Territories has attracted great attention during the past year or so, owing to the vigorous efforts of the Government to obtain control of the Apaches, and the very animated discussion that has arisen over the policy adopted. The construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad, like that

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