Johnston] 



NAVAHO POPULATION 59 



Navalio wealth and industry, followed by the military conquest of the 

 Navaho and the complete failure of the efforts to transform them into 

 settled agriculturalists at Fort Sumner. 



Phase 2 (1869-82).— Termed the "years of neglect," this period 

 features the readjustment of the Navaho to reservation life under 

 American tutelage. The inadequacy of this tutelage is reflected in 

 the abortive efforts to establish the first school under Presbyterian 

 direction at this time. 



Phase 3 (1883-89). — The "years of endeavor" begin with the open- 

 ing of the first Navaho boarding school, established along the lines 

 suggested by Agent Eiordan. These efforts at reform were short- 

 lived, however, owing to the absence of official support. 



Phase Jf. (1890-1911) . — "The years of complex solutions" were char- 

 acterized by the rapid expansion of school facilities and the enforce- 

 ment of higher standards in personnel selection. It was during this 

 period, furthermore, that the day school system advanced by Com- 

 missioner Leupp was put into operation alongside the boarding school 

 system, in an effort to determine the most suitable educational system 

 under reservation conditions. 



Phase 5 (1912-32) .- — This period is termed "the years of criticism." 

 As noted earlier, these criticisms culminated in the Meriam Report, 

 which has influenced greatly many of the educational efforts since 

 1933. The chief feature of the reforms suggested in this report was 

 the systematic effort to make the educational process more meaningful 

 to Navahos on the reservation by relating the curriculums of the 

 schools to the realities of everyday reservation lif e.**** 



Phase 6 ( 1933-41 ) . — Woerner terms this phase the "years of experi- 

 mentation." The chief accomplishment of this period was the imple- 

 mentation of the major proposals suggested in the Meriam Report. 

 Thus the major objective of the educational policies under the Collier 

 administration was to preserve Navaho culture as a functional entity 

 by relating the classroom curriculums thereto. It was hoped to pre- 

 pare individual Navahos for a more active role in the general Ameri- 

 can society without sacrificing their traditional cultural values. 



In the light of the impressive developments in Navaho education 

 since 1941, a seventh phase might w^ell be termed the "years of achieve- 

 ment." This last phase has been characterized by three major fac- 

 tors. First, the war itself greatly facilitated the assimilation of 



^ The need for an educational program which would recognize and strengthen existing 

 Indian social organizations rather than isolate the individual Indian pupil from these 

 organizations was clearly stated in the Meriam Report (Meriam et al., 1928, p. 346). It 

 was not until 10 years later, however, that detailed proposals concerning necessary 

 modifications in the school curriculum of the Navaho were advanced (Hulsizer, 1940). 

 A summary of Federal Indian policy as it relates to the education of Indians is presented 

 in Officer, 1956, pp. 116-117. More detailed accounts of educational developments and 

 related policies among American Indians are provided in Thompson, 1957, and in Havig- 

 hurst, 1957. Specifically Navaho educational problems are discussed in both articles. 



780-568—66 5 



