Spokane Indians, after seven months at the Indian Training School

Title

Spokane Indians, after seven months at the Indian Training School

Description

A group portrait of the second group of Spokane students taken to the Forest Grove Indian School from the band of Chief Lot. This photograph was taken in March 1882 at the Forest Grove Indian School campus after they had been enrolled there for seven months. Their names as given on the school roster were: Alice L. Williams; Florence Hayes; Suzette (or Susan) Secup; Julia Jopps; Louise Isaacs; Eunice Madge James; James George; Ben Secup; Frank Rice; and Garfield Hayes.

The Forest Grove Indian School Superintendent had this photograph made for fundraising and promotional purposes. It was intended to be paired with the "before" picture he had taken of the students when they enrolled in the school (see PUApic_008608.jpg). The intention behind the pair of photographs was to show how the school was assimilating Native children into white society, erasing their Native customs. Sadly, one girl in the first photograph, Chief Lot's daughter Martha Lot, died before this photograph was taken.

The general public could buy copies of this photograph for 50 cents per print, with the school earning 10 cents on each sale. The number "63" that appears on this photograph refers to the I.G. Davidson catalog, from which more photographs could be ordered. Tiny numerals written on the photograph apparently refer to a list of captions that no longer exists.

Identifier

PUApic_008035.jpg

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/

Source

Forest Grove Indian School Collection, Pacific University Archives

Type

Still Image

Other Media

[front] Davidson. Photo. No. 63. Indian Training School, Forest Grove, Oregon. New Recruits. - Spokane Indians, after Seven Months at School. Capt. M. C. Wilkinson, U. S. A., in Charge. [back] I. G. Davidson; Photographer; Portland, Oregon