36 OMAHA AND PONKA LETTERS. 
& , eee , Ne ° / P. pie la 
d¢ade té igitda" taté naya"qti a'da™be eawaga™i, ada" 
reading the shall be for its good shining very we see it we are so, there- 
brightly fore 
anga” ¢a-qtia’ 1. Day school te anga™ ¢a-baji. 
we strongly desire it. Day school the we do not desire, 
NOTE. 
This letter was dictated to the author at the Presbyterian mission — 
house, twelve Omahas being present. 
TRANSLATION. 
O friend, we write to you on various matters. We will send to you 
to speak to you avery few words. We will speak about something 
that was done formerly. We will speak about the school-house that 
was formerly in operation. When you, O friend, gave us a school-hotse, 
it was as if you made it forus. And though at that time we did not 
know at all that it was avery good thing, yet we generally put the 
children there. Now we know that the sole tendency of education at 
that time was towards improvement. Therefore we are not a little 
anxious for education (for the children). We think, ‘The children fare 
very well when they stay at the school-house!” And yet when the 
children were learning to speak English very well, and were improving 
rapidly, from some cause or other the school-house was broken up! And 
then the agents took the control, making the children study for half a 
day. Now there survive sixty-five of those who formerly learned at 
the boarding-school. They speak Mneglish, and they even write letters. 
Of those who speak English, one is a Government interpreter, one is a 
school teacher, two are carpenters, three know how to put up houses, 
three are blacksmiths, and one works at the grist-mill. And now, of 
those who have attended school since the Friends took control, not 
even one speaks English! The money has been expended all in vain. 
They have not made anything for themselves out of it. And what was 
in existence formerly was truly good in its tendency, but as they have 
broken it up to our disadvantage, we have been greatly displeased, 
We desire for ourselves that very thing which was here formerly. And 
it is reasonable to think that the President will aid us to get this. O 
friend, we think that you will help us. As you aided us formerly, so 
we desire you to aid us now. With reference to the boarding school, 
we regard it as something that is shining very brightly, and which 
must be for the good of the people. Therefore we strongly desire it. 
We do not want the day schools, 
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