2/03/2020

Cherokee students enrolled in to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School from the Cherokee Boarding School, NC 1910-1917

I've been exploring the lists of Cherokee names, focusing on the NC groups.

See: https://ciis.blogspot.com/2020/01/cherokee-students-at-carlisle-indian.html

Looking at the 117 students listed who were transfered in to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School from the Cherokee Boarding School out of 254 total Eastern Cherokee students enrolled, I find that the first to arrive December 14, 1893, was a group of 13 boys and 10 girls. Also with the group was one Catawba girl. The documentation for the enrollment of this group does NOT appear in the NARA student folders or the Bell database, but rather - in the December 15, 1893 INDIAN HELPER school newspaper. The NARA folders do not include applications for enrollment for any of these students.

At this writing, this date of enrollment is the first I've researched, therefore, given the availability of more newspapers, these total numbers are likely to change as I move further through the newspaper references tied to dates of enrollments.

In the summer of 1903, three more boys ages 14 - 18 enrolled who were transferred from Cherokee, although there could have been more between 1893 and 1903. As I look further into the newspaper accounts of arrivals, there might very well be others.

All in all, 32 females and 85 males attended Carlisle from the Cherokee Boarding School between 1893 and 1918.

So, they were transferred mostly in small groups and we know something of their arrivals - but what were the circumstances surrounding their departures?

According to the Bell database:
Two were expelled.
One passed away on "Outing"
One girl passed away at school and is buried in the Indian Cemetery.
Two failed to return from leave
One transferred to the Ford Motor Company on "Outing."
Ten graduated (three male / seven female)
Eleven suffered from illness - TB was a major cause of illness.
Five joined the Army and/or Navy
Twenty Ran Away (1 more to the Army)
Eight left because the Carlisle Indian School closed.
Four left due to "Termination of leave."
And typically of most groups, Forty left due to "Time Expired."
Most of these children/young adults were enrolled for five year terms.

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