Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-11-20
INDIAN AFFAIRS.

INDIAN AFFAIRS.
The Hon. E. P. Smith, Commissioner of
Indian Affairs, has completed his annual re-
port to the Secretary of the Interior. The
statistical returns are more than usually full
and accurate. From them will be gathered
unmistakable evidences of advancing civiliza-
ton among nearly all the different tribes of
Indians, evinced by gain in all material
prosperity, increased interest in and facilities
for education, and a growing general dispo.
sition of good will toward the Government.
The commissioner believes that no year in
the history of the Government has witnessed
such marked general movement towards the
civilization of the red men. For three years
the appliances for civilization have been
brought to bear with increasing force upon
the indiana of the country, and the results
produced are gratifying and most hopeful for
the future. At FL Agencies Indians who, at
the beginning of this period, made no effort
and showed no inclination toward labor or
self-support, or education for their children,
seem now to have settled into an earnest pur-
pose to adopt q civilized mode of life, and
learn to provide for themselves. For con-
venience of reference and remark the In
dams Of the country may be classified under
three heads. First, Those that are wild and
scarcely tractable to any extent beyond that
Of coming near enough to the Government
agent to receive rations and blankets. Sec
ondly, the Indians who are thoroughly con-
WINGED Of the necessity of labor and are &C.
tually undertaking it. and will more or less
accept the direction and assistance of Gov.
eminent agents to this end. Thirdly, Indians
who have come into possession of allotted
lands, and other stock property in stock and
implements belonging to them as landed es-
tate.
The first class numbers about S9,SlS, and
may be catalogued as follows: 1854 out of
about 81, 900 Sioux; APO Mandans; l,G20
Gros Ventrees: 1900 Crows, $3.50 Black
feet, Bloods, and Piegans G,l53 Utes in Col
orado, Utah, and New Mexico 9,057 Apaches
in New Mexico and Arizona; 1915 Kiowas
and Comanches in Indian Territory 1924
Cheyenues and Arrapahoes in Indian Terri
tory, Wyoming, and Dakota /; 1852 Cbippe-
was In Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan !;
300 Nez Perces in Idaho; 1,600 Shoshones
aaa 3aHa6eSs In Wyoming; 1000 Shoshones.
Bannocks, and ri Utes in Oregon.
The second class, numbering about 81 ,429,
10 summed up as follows: ., 100 Chippewas
and Amenomonees in Minnesota ar Wiscon-
sin; 1913 Sacs and Foxes In Iowa; 4,622
Sioux. 20 Poucas. and 973 Rees in Dakota;
$3.50 Pawnees, Omahas, Ottoes, Sacs, and
Foxes in Nebraska; 1929 Flatheads in Mon
tana, and $500 Mixed Shoshones and Ban
nocks, and Sheep Eaters, and 200 Nez
Perces in Idaho; 295 Kickapoos, 1853 Kaws,
and 2,S72 Osages in the Indian Territory;
LOCO Pah Utes on reservation in Nevada;
575 Utes in Utah; l, 450 Mohaves and Hual-
paes in Arizona; 9,068 Navsjoes in New
Mexico, and l5,056 among the different tribes
in Washington Territory, Oregon. and Cali
fosnis.
In the third class: I4O Senecas and other
indians in New York; 1l,774 Chippewas and
other Indians in Michigan, Wisconsin and
Minnesota; 2,7S0 Sioux at Sisseton, Santee,
and Flandreau Agencies 22G Iowas and
1,785 Winnebagos in Nebraska; $50 Poua-
vatomies and Cickapoos in Kansas; 500
Osages, 900 Choctaws, $4,000 Creeks, 6, 900
Chickasaws. 2,43s Seminoles, I7,2l7 Cher.
okees, and ,l4l belonging to smaller bands
In the Indian Territory !, 900 Eastern Cher !
okees in North Carolina; 1907 Neg Perces in
Idaho; 5,ll2 Yakomas, and others in Wash
inston Territory, and 0,905 Pueblos in New
Mexico. Within the above CLASH 6cation,
nodlhed somewhat, might be included, A.
300 Pimas and Maricopas, and 5000 Papa
goes in Arizona, and q majority of the 5000
Mission Indians in California, who have al.
ways been self-supporting, and only within a
short time have been furnished by the Gov
eminent with an agent and few employees;
and il it had been at any time during the last
generation possible for them to have received
suitable sads in severalty, they would have
been in - tolerable condition of comfort as
most of their white neighbors.
fourth class of roamers and yagrants
might be enumerated, consisting of GOO Win
nebagoes in Wisconsin, 250 Kickapoos in
Kansss-known as Mokohoko's band-6, 900
Digger, and others in California; 5000 In
diaas on the Columbia River; 1900 Utes in
Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Arizona; 1850
Yomas and others in Arizona, and 200 scat |
tered Indians in North Carolina, Tennessee,
Georgia, Florida, and Texas.
Respecting the Indi IT'S engaged in Glass |,
this general statemnt is true: A decided adj |
vance has been made during the year in the
direction Of securing control and Influence
over these widest tribes in the country and
the way has opened qrite perceptibly fer a
much longer and more hopeful worA among
them during the coming year. They are as
yet unreached by missionary work, aud are
in their native paganism, whose superstition
often forbids their being counted for enroll.
ment and their children from attending school.
II 10 from Indians in this class that any such
hostiliies are TO be appreEended as to require
the presence or use of the military; and with
the exception Of possibly 1000 TO 10000, none
Of these are properly designated hostile, and
the hostiles themselves are so scattered and
divided In cliques and bands that except I'M
der extraordinary provocation, or in circum-
stances not at all to be apprehended, it is not
probable that As many AZ 500 Indian war
riors will ever again be mustered for a fight.
And with the conflicting interests of the diff
ferent tribes, and the occupation of the inter-
vcning country and advancing settlements,
such an event AZ a general Indian war can
never again occur in this country.
The 81, 429 people embraced in Glass may
be properly classified ~ Indian novitiates in
civilization. They have largely broken away
rom heathenish practices; are generally sban-
loning the medicine dance, and have come
lirectly under the influence and control of re-
igious teaching. With scarcely an exception