Difference between revisions of "Darlington Mission School"

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(Created page with "Established as the first Mennonite Mission (partly supported by the Federal Gov) in Indian Territory around 1879. Used primarily to educate Arapaho children, teachings are record...")
 
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Established as the first Mennonite Mission (partly supported by the Federal Gov) in Indian Territory around 1879. Used primarily to educate Arapaho children, teachings are recorded as having covered Christian idiology, Biblical history, and Sunday School. English was the only language allowed on campus, braids were cut off, and native garb was not allowed.
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{{infobox institution
Haury, the man appointed by the Mennonite Church to be Superintendent, gave Sunday services to adults and children alike, attendance stated to be on average 50-100 natives. These services eventually turned to be all white gatherings, as Haury found preaching through an interpreter who "does not have a sense for the truth and whose life stands in contradiction with the same, & often does more harm than good."
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| name = Taft State Hospital
By 1881 a new Superintendent had been hired by the Federal Gov., and with his arrival Sunday school could no longer be held at the school. At that time they built up the Mission, complete with kitchen and dining-room in the basement, a school-room and three private rooms on the first, five rooms on the second floor, and two dormitories in the garret." They implemented farming lessons for the boys, and kitchen and household lessons for the girls. Children were taught the value of money.
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| image = OKtaftaerial.png
John H. Seger served as superintendent from 1846-1928. In 1886 he took 152 Cheyennes & Arapahoes and formed "Seger's Colony", a manual boarding school on a 100 acre farm, 50 miles from Darlington. Records show Natives at Seger's Colony worked on native bead-work, crafting teepees, bows and arrows, and moccasins for his sale to white settlements near by. This effort was encouraged by the Federal Gov., and even recommended for all other Gov.-funded boarding schools throughout the US in an essay called "The Red Man's Present Needs" by Hamlin Garland.
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| image_size = 250px
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| alt =
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| caption =
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| established = 1930
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| construction_began =
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| construction_ended =
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| opened = 1934
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| closed = 1970
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| demolished =
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| current_status = [[Active Institution|Active]]
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| building_style = [[Cottage Planned Institutions|Cottage Plan]]
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| architect(s) =
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| location = , OK
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| architecture_style =
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| peak_patient_population =
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| alternate_names =<br>
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*
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}}
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==History==
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Established as the first Mennonite Mission (partly supported by the Federal Gov) in the country, in 1880. The Mission School was founded by German Mennonite missionary Rev. Samuel S. Haury and his wife Susanna. The school building as completed was a large 2-story wood-frame building painted white.
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Rev. Haury gave Sunday services to adults and children alike, but these services eventually turned to be all white gatherings, as Haury only spoke English and found preaching through an interpreter "does not have a sense for the truth and whose life stands in contradiction with the same, & often does more harm than good." To illustrate his point with the difficulties of the language, Haury gave an example that appeared in the November 1880 issue of the Nachrichten. "In order to express the word God, they have the word Tschaba Nihaathu (Tschaba = above; Nihaathu = white man) "the white man above". The expression is decidedly wrong, as the Indian sees in the white man only his blackmailer and oppressor."
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The main intent of the missionaries was to work with the Arapaho children and through them bring the adults to Christianity; teachings are recorded as having covered Christian idiology, Biblical history, and Sunday School. English was the only language allowed on campus, braids were cut off, and native garb was not allowed.
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Then in February of 1882 on the night of the 19th, a very cold and stormy night, the mission building burned down. Four little children, including the Haurys' 9-month old son, Carl, and three half Indian, half white children (Jenny, Walter, and Emil) that the Haurys had taken into their home, died in the fire. The Haurys lost everything. In a special report published by the Nachrichten aus der Heidenwelt Haury wrote, "What my heart felt with a look at these 4 little corpses and everything that was connected, I am not able to say. One must be led in such depths of sorrow and pain in order to grasp it."  After the fire the school continued in tents provided by the commander at Fort Reno and proposed that a new building made from bricks should be constructed.
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By December 1882 a new Superintendent had been hired by the Federal Gov., and with his arrival Sunday school could no longer be held at the school. At that time they built a new brick Mission, ($5000 of the $7000 appropriated by Congress, the remaining $2000 from Mennonite donations) complete with kitchen and dining-room in the basement, a school-room and three private rooms on the first, five rooms on the second floor, and two dormitories in the garret." They implemented farming lessons for the boys, and kitchen and household lessons for the girls. Children were taught the value of money.
 +
 
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John H. Seger served as superintendent from 1886-1928. In 1886 he took 152 Cheyennes & Arapahoes and formed "Seger's Colony", a manual boarding school on a 100 acre farm, 50 miles from Darlington. Records show Natives at Seger's Colony worked on native bead-work, crafting teepees, bows and arrows, and moccasins for his sale to white settlements near by. This effort was encouraged by the Federal Gov., and even recommended for all other Gov.-funded boarding schools throughout the US in an essay called "The Red Man's Present Needs" by Hamlin Garland.

Revision as of 15:59, 18 January 2018

Taft State Hospital
Established 1930
Opened 1934
Closed 1970
Current Status Active
Building Style Cottage Plan
Location , OK
Alternate Names




History

Established as the first Mennonite Mission (partly supported by the Federal Gov) in the country, in 1880. The Mission School was founded by German Mennonite missionary Rev. Samuel S. Haury and his wife Susanna. The school building as completed was a large 2-story wood-frame building painted white.

Rev. Haury gave Sunday services to adults and children alike, but these services eventually turned to be all white gatherings, as Haury only spoke English and found preaching through an interpreter "does not have a sense for the truth and whose life stands in contradiction with the same, & often does more harm than good." To illustrate his point with the difficulties of the language, Haury gave an example that appeared in the November 1880 issue of the Nachrichten. "In order to express the word God, they have the word Tschaba Nihaathu (Tschaba = above; Nihaathu = white man) "the white man above". The expression is decidedly wrong, as the Indian sees in the white man only his blackmailer and oppressor." The main intent of the missionaries was to work with the Arapaho children and through them bring the adults to Christianity; teachings are recorded as having covered Christian idiology, Biblical history, and Sunday School. English was the only language allowed on campus, braids were cut off, and native garb was not allowed.

Then in February of 1882 on the night of the 19th, a very cold and stormy night, the mission building burned down. Four little children, including the Haurys' 9-month old son, Carl, and three half Indian, half white children (Jenny, Walter, and Emil) that the Haurys had taken into their home, died in the fire. The Haurys lost everything. In a special report published by the Nachrichten aus der Heidenwelt Haury wrote, "What my heart felt with a look at these 4 little corpses and everything that was connected, I am not able to say. One must be led in such depths of sorrow and pain in order to grasp it." After the fire the school continued in tents provided by the commander at Fort Reno and proposed that a new building made from bricks should be constructed.

By December 1882 a new Superintendent had been hired by the Federal Gov., and with his arrival Sunday school could no longer be held at the school. At that time they built a new brick Mission, ($5000 of the $7000 appropriated by Congress, the remaining $2000 from Mennonite donations) complete with kitchen and dining-room in the basement, a school-room and three private rooms on the first, five rooms on the second floor, and two dormitories in the garret." They implemented farming lessons for the boys, and kitchen and household lessons for the girls. Children were taught the value of money.

John H. Seger served as superintendent from 1886-1928. In 1886 he took 152 Cheyennes & Arapahoes and formed "Seger's Colony", a manual boarding school on a 100 acre farm, 50 miles from Darlington. Records show Natives at Seger's Colony worked on native bead-work, crafting teepees, bows and arrows, and moccasins for his sale to white settlements near by. This effort was encouraged by the Federal Gov., and even recommended for all other Gov.-funded boarding schools throughout the US in an essay called "The Red Man's Present Needs" by Hamlin Garland.