Richard Henry Pratt responds to an Office of Indian Affairs letter regarding bringing students from the Blackfeet, Navajo, and Ute Agencies to the Carlisle Indian School. Pratt notes that he has instructed his staff sent to the Rosebud, Pine Ridge, and Omaha Agencies not to obtain as many students as he had previously thought to bring back,…
Recruitment of Students
Richard Henry Pratt forwards expense vouchers related to the recruitment of students in the Omaha and Winnebago Agency as well as the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Agencies.
Richard Henry Pratt responds to an Office of Indian Affairs letter providing authority to transport Wallace Charging Shield and Perry Laravie while also suggesting they serve as escort for other students. Pratt then states that he does not believe individuals in agencies are currently capable of selecting students to attend the training schools…
Richard Henry Pratt requests authority to send school physician, Obadiah G. Given, to various agencies in the West to recruit 50 to 75 students. Pratt asks for latitude in recruiting students and arranging their transportation rather than having to request specific tickets from each agency.
Wrap for telegraph from Richard Henry Pratt in which he he describes difficulties in securing pupils, asks authority from the Office of Indian Affairs authority for 150 students, and opportunity to answer adverse allegations.
The telegraph itself is not included.
Richard Henry Pratt replies to the Office of Indian Affairs that the Office has instructed Alfred John Standing to telegraph the Office for transportation only as he finds pupils to come to Carlisle.
Richard Henry Pratt writes that in accordance with Office of Indian Affairs authority he has sent Obadiah G. Given to Indian Territory to secure students. Pratt notes that he has instructed Given to telegraph the Office directly with the number of tickets needed in order to secure transportation back to Carlisle.
Richard Henry Pratt notes that with the completion of the new school building the Carlisle Indian School can accommodate 500 students on its campus. He further indicates that 189 students are currently on outing with only a few in any one district school allowing them to speak English on a more regular basis.
Pratt then discusses that…
Richard Henry Pratt informs the Office of Indian Affairs that the Office letter to William P. Campbell at the Crow Agency does not provide him authority to recruit students from the agency school. Campbell does state that many of the pupils and their parents are willing to have children enrolled at Carlisle.
Richard Henry Pratt provides his recommendations on securing a party of Navajo students for the Carlisle Indian School. Pratt indicates that the agent should attempt to gather 50 students with a minimum of one-third of the party being girls and to have no students under the age of 12. When the party is ready he can have a Carlisle School…
C. E. Vandever, U.S. Indian Agent for the Navajo Agency, responds to an Office of Indian Affairs telegram to have him secure 50 Navajo students for the Carlisle Indian School. Vandever notes that it is difficult to secure Navajo students in normal times but at present the snow makes travel impossible and that he hopes to be able to secure 25…
Richard Henry Pratt informs the Office of Indian Affairs that he has received word from Fletcher J. Cowart that Cowart has 15 students he would like to enroll at Carlisle. Pratt notes that he has written to Cowart that he wants to maintain the gender ratio at the school.
M. D. Baldwin, U.S. Indian Agent for the Blackfeet Agency, replies in response to an Office of Indian Affairs letter that he can obtain 14 students for the Carlisle Indian School. He further requests to be able to send one of the student's parents as an escort. Baldwin ends by asking to be advised on traveling and incidental expenses.
Richard Henry Pratt requests authority to bring in an additional 275 students from various agencies for the upcoming fiscal year. Pratt notes that the school currently has 611 students, but he expects to lose about 175 due to expiration of enrollment terms. Further he states that he was in negotiation to bring in students from various agencies…
Richard Henry Pratt forwards a copy of a letter from M. D. Baldwin, U.S. Indian Agent for the Blackfeet Agency, regarding sending 10 to 20 students to Carlisle. Pratt asks that he be given authority to arrange the transportation, or if the Office of Indian Affairs is arranging the transportation that they provide special instructions regarding…
Byron M. Cutcheon, Congressman from Michigan, responds to a letter from the Office of Indian Affairs regarding 50 pupils from Michigan to be enrolled at the Carlisle Indian School. Cutcheon recommends the office communicate with a former U.S. Indian Agent and Frank W. Wheeler, another Congressman from Michigan.
Richard Henry Pratt requests authority to use the extra $500 remaining in his appropriation for sending Alfred John Standing and a female assistant to recruit students in Michigan.
Pratt also notes that a former student who could have served this role returned home in order to look out for his own interests in regards to the land in…
Richard Henry Pratt requests assistance from the Office of Indian Affairs in securing students for the upcoming school year. Pratt specifically asks for the office to send letters to encourage agents at various agencies to help secure students. Pratt further notes that he is sending Marianna Burgess and Kate Irvine to New Mexico with the…
B. P. Shuler, U.S. Indian Agent for the White Earth Agency, responds to an Office of Indian Affairs letter that he will provide full support to the agent of the Carlisle Indian School to secure students for the school.
C. E. Vandever, U.S. Indian Agent for the Navajo Agency, responds to an Office of Indian Affairs letter that it will be difficult to obtain students from the Navajo Agency for off reservation boarding schools. Vandever cites the fact that four former students died shortly after returning from Carlisle, including two sons of popular chief…
Richard Henry Pratt requests that three crates of smallpox vaccine be sent to the Carlisle Indian School. Twenty-two pupils from the Laguna village are set to arrive at Carlisle shortly, and Pratt notes that his agents who were recruiting in New Mexico found that in six of the seven villages there were smallpox outbreaks, including at Acoma…
Richard Henry Pratt forwards a report from Alfred John Standing regarding his trip to Michigan and Minnesota to recruit students for the Carlisle Indian School. Pratt details the obstacles Standing experienced including maintaining a relatively equal gender ratio and the decentralized nature of the various communities and poor prior experiences…
Charles Hill, U.S. Indian Agent for the Flandreau Agency, reports that in response to an Office of Indian Affairs letter, he went to the homes of children to discuss with parents sending the children to Carlisle. He notes that in most cases parents were hesitant to send their children so far away, and as a result he was only able to get ten…
Richard Henry Pratt responds to an Office of Indian Affairs letter noting that has received no communication from U.S. Indian Agent Charles Hill regarding students from the Flandreau Agency.
Richard Henry Pratt details how various incoming student parties have diminished and he is therefore able to receive additional students from the Crow Agency in Montana as well as the Piegan Agency. Pratt notes that if the Crow and Piegan funds could be used to transport students then they could take as many students as possible.
Pratt…