THE HOGAN SCHOOL

One thing they want to do is to have the Navs write Navajo. I went to Washington to tell them in words of one syllable that the Government already had in its hands the means of recording Indian languages and had the symbols on its printing presses [at the Bureau of Ethnology]; they did not know this… I saved the Navajo from a fourth epidemic of bad orthography. I am going to simplify Sapir’s system which at its worse is not now very complicated…

I am to spend three solid months on Navajo at the Government’s expense and am to teach at least twelve Navs how to write it. They will record for me and I will get texts about everyday affairs, and they will be able to teach others how to write… I have always thot [GAR’s spelling] I should like to run a school that had no administration or equipment and stressed teaching so this will be a chance to try. (GAR to ECP 25 February 1934)

Here was Reichard’s first opportunity actually to analyze the Navajo language,

not merely to learn to speak it, as she had been doing during her summers with Maria Antonia and Miguelito’s family. The Hogan School was set up close to their home. Reichard was appointed for three months, from 1 June through 31 August, at a salary of $325 per month (Memorandum of the ‘General Plan’ for ‘Dr. Gladys A.Reichard’s project for a summer school to teach Navajo to adult Navajos’ 28 March 1934 GARC). On 22 June she reported to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs:

I have been on the job for three weeks now and think it time I sent you an informal report… I have covered some 1500 miles of territory

and start out for the western part of the Navajo Reservation today to make my final recruiting trip.