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United States. Office of Indian Affairs / Annual report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the year 1892
61st ([1892])
Reports of superintendents of schools, pp. 647-708
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Page 652
652 REPORTS OF SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS. I REPORT OF SCHOOL AT KEAM'S CARON, ARIZ. KEAMIS CAON, ARIZ., August 25, 1892. SIR: I have the honor to submit my annual report. This school was in continuous session during the twelve months of the fiscal year 1892. Attendance.-The total enrollment was 115; 8 pupils were transferred to Law- rence, Kans., and average attendance was 103. We had no trouble in getting new pupils to take the places of those transferred, but the transfer of pupils was accomplished only by the determined fight of the pupils themselves for their parents' permission, and the Moquis, as a tribe, are unanimous in their opposi- tion to having their children taken away for education. When I dismissed school for vacation in July, 95 of the parents gave their promise that their chil- dren should be returned on the day appointed, willingly and spontaneously, and some were a little indignant that I should even ask them for a promise, thinking that I ought to know from their actions and words that they were well pleased with the school and wanted to keep their children here; but 7 of the Oreibas were reported to me as being opposed to the school, and hence I made them give me their hands in promise that their children should be returned before letting them go. School work.-The work has been carried on regularly and without interruption. The pupils can understand nearly everything their teachers try to tell them, and I have little trouble in having common things interpreted into Moqui. At one time I used one of the pupils to interpret in a general council, and she did well in translating from English into Moqui, and pleased the Indians greatly; but none are competent to translate from Moqui into English for general conversation, although they can use simple English sentences. impromptu, by the hour. They show a great liking for books and papers, and everything is eagerly read to the extent of their ability. Their women appear to-be chaste. The tribe, which numbers about 200 souls, has always been peaceable. They are well armed with Winchester rifles, and are great hunters. They are seldom without deer or antelope meat, and their rude shacks are filled with skins. Besides deer, antelope, rabbits, and other small game, nature produces every year, without cultivation, an abundance of juniper berries, pifion nuts, mescal, and tunis roots-all of which, and especially the pifion nuts and mescal, are exceedingly rich and nutritious. Surrounding their homes is from 600 to 1,000 acres of the richest kind of soil. Just above their villages the Cataract Creek emerges from its sandy bed and flows onward to the Grand Cahon in a glorious stream, 12 to 20 feet wide and 3 to 4 deep. There is such an abundance of water, and the land slopes so gradually, that irrigation is as easy and simple as play. This soil will produce an abun- dance of almost every kind of semitropical vegetable or fruit. Last year they cultivated 15 or 20 acres, and this year they have in between 60 and 70 acres. Their crop consists of corn-a very large, generous variety, very sweet-melons of all varieties, beans, a few pease, onions, and potatoes. They have either a splendid variety of peach trees, or the soil and lovely cli- mate impart to the fruit a most delicious flavor. During my visit to them in June I counted 1,295 trees, old and in full bearing. The trees are literally loaded to the earth with fruit. They will not have less than 4,000 bushels of peaches this year. This fruit they halve and dry in the sun. It is then " cached"1 in the caton walls many feet above, and used as wanted. The merchants at Flag- staff and Williams are always eager to buy this dried fruit, and it is a source of very considerable revenue. Besides peaches thay have a few-I counted 20 in full bearing-apricot trees, and an abundance of wild grapes. The Government provided a farmer for these Indians on February 1, 1892, which accounts for the increase of cultivated land over last year. It also au- thorized the purchase of tools, seeds, etc. Very respectfully, S. M. McCOWAN, Superintendent. The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.
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