American Missionary Association Collections

What is a missionary school?

The Vernacular In Indian Schools This question is not settled. One thing that has kept it unsettled has been the uncertain use of the term “missionary schools” in the Orders of the Indian Department. What is precisely a missionary school? Let me try to explain. There are three kinds of schools in the nomenclature of the Indian Office, based on the sources of their support. Government Schools, supported wholly by Government appropriationssuch as those at Carlisle, Genoa, etc. These may be left out of the account in this discussion, for no one objects to the Government’s directing the studies in … Read more

United Brotherhood of Georgia

The most important gathering of Negroes that probably has ever occurred, was in Macon, Ga., a few weeks since. Five hundred leading Negro representatives convened to discuss and adopt “a thorough plan of State organization.” A permanent organization was effected and named the “United Brotherhood of Georgia,” the purpose of which is “to resist oppression, wrong and injustice.” We note the following resolutions, which were passed by the convention: Resolved, That we, in convention assembled, respectfully but earnestly demand of the powers that be, that the Negro be given what, and only what, he is entitled to. Resolved further, That … Read more

Training of Colored Students for the Episcopal Ministry

A very interesting discussion occurred in the Missionary Council of the Episcopal Church, held in Washington, D.C., November 13th and 14th, in regard to the education of colored students for the ministry in the Episcopal Church. The motive for not educating them in the existing Episcopal Seminaries appeared to be simply the caste-prejudice, and some marked utterances and facts were given on that subject, which we wish to preserve. The Bishop of Kentucky, whose generous feelings toward the colored race we have had occasion to notice heretofore, quoted from another, and endorsed for himself, the declaration: “The white man is … Read more

The Southern Situation, Some Suggestive Facts

First Fact. The condition of the colored man In the South is becoming more pitiable and precarious. Mr. Grady, in his last speech, announced the unalterable purpose of the Southern whites never to submit to Negro rule, and we read not long since of a “quiet election” held in a Southern city, because the colored people, duly warned, kept away from the polls. We know something, also, of the struggles of that people against almost insuperable difficulties in trying to obtain food, homes and education. In addition to all this, the public press keeps us informed with sad frequency of … Read more

The Santee Normal Training School and Indian Missions

Running Antelope, an Indian chief, describing the condition of the Indians, said: “There was once a beautiful, clear lake of water, full of fish. The fish were happy and content, had plenty to eat, and nothing to trouble them. One day a man came and threw in a lump of mud, which frightened the fishes much and disturbed the water. Another day a man came again, and threw in some more mud, and even again and again, until the water became so thick that the fish could not see at all; they were so blinded and so frightened that they … Read more

The Ramona School

By Dist. Sec. J.E. Roy. I had the pleasure, in Santa Fé, January 13th, of attending an entertainment given by the Ramona pupils in honor of Miss Platt, one of their teachers. Gov. Prince and his wife, and several of the citizens, were present as invited guests. After the singing of several songs, and a statement made by Prof. Elmore Chase, the Principal, fourteen of the scholars rendered, in the action of nature and the speaking of English, Mrs. Bentley’s dialogue, “The Old Year’s Vision and the New Year’s Message,” as found in the January number of The Youth’s Temperance … Read more

The Hopefulness of Indian Missions

The people of America are determined to press the Indian problem to a speedy solution. Provision has been made for giving lands in severalty, and the next great movement should be to induce the Government to provide secular education, and the churches to furnish religious instruction to all the Indians. The American Missionary Association, during the year, has responded to this new impulse by enlarging its workin the opening of new stations, in the erection of new buildings, and in the appointment of more missionaries and teachers. At the Santee Agency, Nebraska, our oldest mission station and school has had … Read more

The Government and the Indians

On the 13th of March, some of the Secretaries of the missionary societies, and others interested in the welfare of the Indians, had an interview with President Harrison and with Secretary Noble, of the Interior Department. We were kindly received, and the Secretary solicited information from us as to the methods in which he could aid in furtherance of Indian civilization. A number of suggestions were made in response, and the following outline is given as a summary of the points presented to the Secretary: That the appointment or retention of all officers and employees in the Indian service of … Read more

The Farm School

But teaching the trades is but part of the system of industrial education at Tougaloo. Each boy is required to work at least one hour a day on the university farm. For all work over that hour the student receives pay, the highest allowance being 7c. an hour. The farm is not run to make money, but to educate. The idea is to make the operation of the farm an object lesson to the students in the better methods of agriculture and stock raising. Several students, enough to take care of the steady and continuous farm work, are employed all … Read more

The Dividing Line Between the two Centuries

The first century of the American Constitution has passed, and has been grandly celebrated. We now stand on the dividing line, and enter upon the Second Century with its unknown trials and triumphs. What these may be, we may judge, perhaps, in part, if we turn to those of the past. Among the many and serious objections made against the Constitution at the outset, demanding protracted discussions, Compromises and Amendments, none were graver or more far-reaching in their consequences than those respecting State Rights and the recognition of Negro slavery. The bottom difficulty in these was probably that of slavery, … Read more

The Color Line Question

It is not the question of social equality. No one doubts the right of individuals, or the family, or the social circle, to draw their lines of association and fellowship at their own pleasure, whether at wealth, rank, fashion, talent, or anything else. To confound this with the real question, is not candid. Still less is it the question of the inter-marriage of the races. Here, individual preference is undeniable. To claim that this is the question, and to ask tauntingly: “Do you want your daughter to marry a nigger?” is ungentlemanly and unworthy of an answer. The question is: … Read more

The 7th Annual Mohonk Conference

The seventh annual gathering of this Conference, Oct. 2-5, was the largest ever assembled. Among those present for the first time were Ex-President Hayes, Gen. O.O. Howard, Gen. John Eaton, Prof. Wayland and Dr. Wayland. The newspaper press, religious and secular, was very fully represented; Abbott, Buckley, Dunning, Gilbert, Ward and Wayland are perhaps best known. The venerable Judge Strong well represented the law, while the absence of Senator Dawes was sincerely regretted. A marked feature of the Conference was the presence of Gen. Morgan, Commissioner of Indian Affairs. For weeks prior to the meeting of the Conference, rumors had … Read more

Rome and the Negro

One of our most interesting exchanges is an “Illustrated Roman Catholic Quarterly edited and published by the Fathers of St. Joseph’s Missionary Society of the Sacred Heart,” its “Record of Missions among the Colored People of the United States.” We need not say that we have no sympathy with Romanism and its errors, nor with the “Missionary Society of the Sacred Heart,” and its efforts to plant Romanism among the colored people of the South. We can, however, but admire the fidelity of the church to its doctrines, and the Christian example it gives to all missionary societies in its … Read more

Perils of Missionary Life

Perils Of Missionary Life Rev. T.L. Riggs, our missionary at Oahe, Dakota, thus describes the loss of a team and the peril of his fellow missionary, Rev. J.F. Cross: “I wished to cross my team on the ice to the west side of the Missouri and keep it there for use during the breaking up of the river. Being very busy with some writing, I asked Mr. Cross to take my team over when he started to return to the White River, sending a man with him. Mr. Cross’s team went over safely, but mine, which Mr. Cross himself was … Read more

Our 1938 Mission in Alaska

We have undertaken to establish a mission school among the Arctic Eskimo Indians of Alaska. The location is to be at Point Prince of Wales at Behrings Strait, the westernmost point of the mainland of America and nearest to Asia. Its distance from the North Pole has not yet been ascertained. The inhabitants are described by Capt. Charles H. Stockton, of the United States Navy, as “the boldest and most aggressive people of all the Arctic coast. They are such a turbulent crowd that the whalers are afraid to visit them and consequently give them a wide berth. It is … Read more

One Day’s Missionary Work

A Trip Among the Out Stations The out-station work among the Indians is a feature almost peculiar to the Indian Missions of the A.M.A. These stations are the picket-lines pushed forward into the Reservations beyond the line of established schools and missions. Each one consists of a cheap home connected sometimes with a cheap school-house, and these are occupied by one or two native Indian missionaries who teach and preach, and thus accomplish an immediate good and lay the foundation for the more permanent church and school. The Association has about twenty such stations on the Cheyenne and other rivers … Read more

Oahe School, Dakota

By Miss Julia E. Pratt A very sad incident came into our life as a school last winter, which has accentuated anew the ignorance and the superstitious heathenism of these Indian people. One of our little boys was sent to the dormitory one morning to do some work to which he objected, and, while pretending to obey, he took one of the other little boys with him and ran away. Their absence was not discovered until it was too late to overtake them, and as their home was only ten miles away, and we knew they were good walkers, as … Read more

Needs of the Colored Women and Girls

I have been asked to speak to you on the needs of four millions of women and girls. The time allotted for this paper is far too limited for me to give more than a glimpse of their real condition. In considering the needs of the colored women and girls of the South, you must bear in mind their past condition, present status and future prospects, together with the forces that have contributed to each, before you can know and feel the heart yearnings and struggles of my sisters. No human lips can tell the story of that dark night … Read more

Missionary Life Among the Dakota Indians

By Mrs. J.F. Cross It is hard to get the most interesting experiences of a missionary’s life, because they belong to the daily routine and so are often unmentioned. But here is a description of life and travel among the Indians, by the wife of a missionary just going to the Dakotas: The land of the Dakotaswhat a distance! How long the miles seemed from my home! How frightful the land seemed to me, from the tales of blizzards and cyclones! How strange to go to live among the Sioux Indians, known to me principally for the Minnesota, Fort Fetterman … Read more

Mission Services at Two Kettle Village

By Miss M. M. Lickorish The church at Two Kettle Village on the Cheyenne was dedicated May 19th. I was delighted to receive an invitation from Mr. Riggs to accompany the party from Oahe. We crossed the Missouri River in a boat, and on the other side took the carriage that had to be sent around by Pierre, an extra distance of thirty-two miles, in order to cross on the bridge. Doctor and Mr. Frederick Riggs, from Santee, now joined us, and the day being pleasant, the prairie covered with the wild flowers so abundant here, we had a most … Read more