REPORT OF CHARLES W. HAWKESWORTH, SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SOUTHEASTERN DISTRICT. The monthly report cards, forwarded by the teachers of the 14 schools in the district, show that we have administered to the educational, social, economic and moral needs of 3,335 natives of Alaska. These are listed in tribes as follows: Thlingets, 2,467; Tsimpsean, 534; Hydas, 334. From this total population of 3,335 in the district, 1,050 have been enrolled in the 14 schools. During the school year of seven months, which is the period of time covered by the report cards, we have had 73 births and 127 deaths. These deaths were due mostly to the epidemic of measles that spread throughout Southeast Alaska during the months of January and February. In Hydaburg alone during the school year there were 28 deaths. It is our aim to secure as accurate a record as possible of the vital statistics of natives for the entire 12 months, and thus to ascertain beyond a doubt the increase or decrease in the native population of Alaska. The entire force of the bureau in the district during the year consisted of 1 superintendent, 1 doctor, 5 nurses, and 28 teachers. The teachers, of necessity, are required to be specialists in kindergarten and primary work, for the reason that 35 per cent of the total enrollment in the district consists of kindergarten children; 38 per cent are in the first and second grades, while only 20 per cent are in the third and fourth grades, 4.8 per cent in the fifth and sixth grades, and only 2.2 per cent in the seventh and eighth grades. In order to start a uniform school system, we introduced Thompson's Minimum Essentials last fall, and worked the same papers in all of the schools, but this was only one step toward grading. Another step was the school fair at Metlakatla. Our aim was for each of the 14 schools to keep every good piece of work done in any of the varied branches during the year and forward the same to Metlakatla on Washington's birthday for the school fair exhibit. We had planned a contest for the same time between the schools of Metlakatla, Hydaburg, and Klawock, in order to bring those three most progressive schools in the district into closer fellowship, and through good-natured competition in spelling matches, arithmetic tests, prize speaking contests, as well as contests in athletic events, to create a pride in the local schools and arouse enough interest to keep the older boys and girls at home rather than go away to the Indian schools in the States. The Metlakatla fair, considering the fact that we had most unpleasant weather during the week, was a great success. The entire teaching staff from Klawock, with their most promising pupils, came, also the teaching staff and members of the school, as well as the Boy Scouts squad, from Hydaburg. No greater incentive has ever been given to these three schools than that of the fair. All the advantages of a teachers' conference we had, plus the additional advantage of the boys and girls seeing what others had actually accomplished. All were amazed at the nautical knowledge of the Boy Scouts from Hydaburg in tying some 20 different kinds of knots. Their ability in first-aid work, so necessary in this hour of the world war, and their ability to use the commercial telegraph, won the admiration of all. The prize-speaking contest between Metlakatla and Klawock brought to mind that the natural oratory of the Indian is by no means lost when the boys and girls speak in English. I have seldom, if ever, heard Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, or the great speech of Patrick Henry, given with more convincing power than when those orations were delivered by boys from Metlakatla. The Klawock contestants at the fair were much younger, but showed excellent strength. Their exhibit was readily granted first place by the judges, and their prize speaker, a young girl of 12 years, won the first honors of the fair, a gold medal, in the prize-speaking contest. An additional incentive brought out by the fair was that the schools could have bands. Practically every native town in Southeast Alaska has its band. We sug |