Well we made it to Lawrence KS and visited the museum at Haskell Indian Nations University. This is what I was trying to remember, not the mission schools. This started out as an industrial training school in 1880s to deal with the Indian problem. Haskell was the KS rep who got the federal money. They essentially rounded up these children and kept them here away from their families for 4 year stretches. The idea was to strip them of Indian culture etc and Americanize them while teaching them a skill. Took away all of their belongings and even their names. These were very young kids who were not allowed to go home until they finished their "term" 4 years later. Unless of course they died or ran away.
Evolved into a normal school and this is where Jim Thorpe went to school. There is a huge stadium and Jim Thorpe was at its dedication in the 1920s. They added high school about the same time. See the picture of the arch at the football field. ARCH = Accountability, Respect, Cooperation, Honesty. Over the years, lots of back and forth about Indian self-determination etc that lead to the high school phase out and it became a junior college and then a university in the 90s. They have had Indian presidents since the 80s and lots of grads from all Indian tribes. Focus is on education of teachers. Finally got control of it rather than the white man telling them what to do. Harsh, military school discipline. Which however made them very attractive recruits during WWII. Also famous for their band and musical programs. Now have a theatre and big arts program to preserve rather than destroy their culture.
Came upon a garage that was willing to look at a/c. Very hot driving. We took a cab into the downtown. $12 flat fee although it was only 10 short blocks. Very nice college town stuff. Reminded me a little of Madison WI. I got copies made of last of the proof pages and Jack went ahead to a recommended restaurant. He was already eating his breakfast sandwich when I got there. When I got to the register the computer had switched to the lunch menu so I couldn't have breakfast. That was a first. Eating two different meals together. Jack people watched while I shopped a little. Believe it or not- a Polish pottery store going out of business and another cross stitch store. Most of the rest college kids stuff. U of Kansas is here. Everyone very, very nice. Jack and I both noticed quite a mix of people-- hippie types, very old used to be hippies, street people on every bench, and some really upscale types with expensive clothes, etc.
Unfortunately they didn't have part for rv and another $12 cab ride back to get it. However, they refused to take any money because they couldn't fix it. Jack insisted the guy take a tip, which he did very, very reluctanly. Cab driver told us that Lawrence has tripled in population because it has become the bedroom community for Kansas City and Topeka. People paid $200,00 more for a comparable house just to get out of the crime in the cities and live on the edge of town here. I liked it a lot - what little we saw.
So on to Topeka. New, very nice rv place. We decided to find a/c place and we did. Truck repair place which is always Jack's first choice. They had the part and fixed it in no time. Very cheap too. Also very nice people at this place and Walmart.
No comments:
Post a Comment