How Indians Graduate from Carlisle 



AC'iAYLY decorated platform on 

 which are seated the graduates, 

 faculty, speaker and other invited 

 guests; a lengthy program of music, 

 orations and addresses, probably all cut 

 to order and sugar-coated for the occa- 

 sion; an award of sheepskins and a 

 benediction — this, in brief, constitutes 

 the stereotyped graduation ceremony of 

 most colleges and schools. 



But there is one school which has a 

 different commencement. It is the 

 United States Indian Industrial School 

 at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Its twelve 

 hundred students are children of Amer- 

 ica's original people, and the institution 

 is the largest industrial school in the 

 country. Until recently commencement 

 activities followed closely the lines of 

 the average college exercises, with ora- 

 tions and addresses scheduled by instruc- 

 tors in close keeping with the academic 

 part of the school's work. 



Today commencement at the Carlisle 

 school is unlike any other. Graduation 

 day is a day of proof as well as showing, 

 for the Indian girl or boy not only tells 



what she or he has done, but actually 

 shows how each has succeeded. This 

 event is held in the school's immense 

 gymnasium and audiences of ten thou- 

 sand people and more from all parts of 

 the United States attend. At the door 

 you are met by a polite Indian usher, 

 spick and span in a school uniform of 

 blue and gold. He finds you a comfort- 

 able seat and a program. You look 

 about but see no person in charge of 

 the activities. Over in one end of the 

 gymnasium you hear whispers. Sitting 

 there are sev'eral hundred little Indian 

 girls and boys of the short dress and 

 knee-breeches age. The school band of 

 fifty pieces is on a low platform at one 

 end of the room. When the hall is full, 

 a low whistle is heard at the entrance, 

 and then the band breaks into a martial 

 air and into the room troop the upper 

 classes, each headed b>' its banner 

 carrier. The rear is brought up by the 

 graduates. Presently all ha\e found 

 their places. The platform is yet 

 unoccupied, and there is apparently no 

 leader for the afternoon's event. From 



Indian girls are given a thorough course in sewing. At graduation they prove that their 

 knowledge can be appUcd in a practical manner 



A demonstration in plumbing is conducted as part of the graduation exercises. One student 

 explains the proceedings while others do tin- actual work 



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