File:Juan P. Kisto to Alice Mary Longfellow, 14 March 1907 (b36bf80f-eb25-4d39-818a-79986b35fc4c).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1007.001/002.003-001#104

[printed letterhead: Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute / Hampton, Virginia]
March 14, 1907
Dear Miss Longfellow
It has been long time ago since I have promised to write you along [sic] letter, so I must not keep you waiting for it any longer.
Perhaps you would like to know where my home is, my home is in Arizona, in the southern part between the two towns, Phoenix and Tucson. Here my people are farming and some raising cattle.
We have very little water - during the winters, but some [p. 2] times over-flow the rivers by heavy rain falls, in the summer of course no rain and it is dry.
People of my tribe are industrious they will know how to use the water if they had it. But I am very glad to tell you that they will have water in a few years from now the Government has been working to put a big reservoir near San Carlos Arizona also the canal to carry the water through to our reservation. Pima is the name of my tribe.
For last eight years my people have been doing very successful work by building [p. 3] up many day schools for the younger children under 8 years old and low as 5 year old children, but still we have a very large boarding school at Sacaton nearly as large as Hampton Institute, five or six miles from my home Sacaton Flates [sic]. I went to this boarding school with my brother about one year an half when I made up my mind to go where I could learn something better, of course during the summer in vacation time we do go home to help our parents to thrash the wheat. The year came when I feel [p. 4] very strongly I must go some where, where my Indian language is less speak, of course that same to put me back where I have started the first year at school. For the dear mother whom I love does seem very hard to part, as she spoke to me with the tears in her eyes, but I told her that will be much better to go where I can learn to talk English and write good hand and correct.
My mother, then me go, when Mr. Lemmon the Superintendent of Teller Institute, at Grand Junction, Colorado, the very place where I have been wanted to go. I had then a very good chance to come into Grand Junction.
[p. 5] Institute. This school I did not go on with it study every year for most of the time I am working out for the farmers near the school.
When five years were out l went back home to see mother, two sisters and two brothers. My father die when we were small, also our youngest brother, these two girls I spoke of are my half sisters because mother is married again after father's death.
My sisters and one of my brother are now attending the mission [p. 6] schools and l am very proud of them for they have started in the christian life as every one of us ought to do. The boy is in Banning, California, and the girls in Gila Crossing Ariz. The other boy is married after quiting the Mission school at Tucson and now at home.
For six months I was at home and not much of the work was going on near home so I left home again and came back to Grand Junction in April 27, 1903. Here I found plenty of work for me to do as usually, I was in this Grand Valley is the very name for it.
All that time till 1905 when I made up my mind to come [p. 7] to this school which I have heard so much off, [sic] during the middle of that summer I file the application with some of my Indian friends who wish to come to Hampton; but we did not all get chance to come, but two of us came in September 24, 1905, and found what expected to see of the nice country, the good situation of Normal school.
We found the politeness of young men and women and especially among the teachers which they pleased me very much.
I am glad I come to such a place where there are such [p. 8] nice people.
The spring is here and l hope you are well and enjoy the good spring. I will close my letter with the very best of wishes to Miss Longfellow.
I am yours truly,
Juan P. Kisto.

• Keywords: alice m. longfellow papers (long 16173); long archives; document; education; hampton institute; correspondence; Manuscripts (1007.001); (LONG-Subcollection); Correspondence (1007.001/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Scholarship Student Correspondence (1007.001/002.003); (LONG-SubseriesName); Letters to Alice Longfellow (1007.001/002.003-001); (LONG-FileUnitName)