Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-12-17
Indian Statistics.

In his report the Commissioner of Indian AT
fairs clgssiies the Indians rnder three heads. as
follows:
FYrst-Those who are wild and scarcely tracta-
ble TO any extent beyond that of coming near
enough to the Government Agent 10 receive
rations and blankets. This class numbers
about ssS13. and may be catalogued as follows;
44a54 ont of about 52,OOo Sioux; ADO Mandans,
61) Gros Eentres, 400 Crows, $3.50 Black
feet Bloods, and Piegans; 6,l63 Utes in Colo
RADIO, Utah and New Mexico; .o57 Apaehes In New
ches in Indian Territory: l.324 Cheyennes and
Arapahoes IN Indian Territory wyoming and
Dakota; 5,sss chippewas In Minnesota, VISION on,
sin and Michigan; 800 Neg Perces in Idaho; 1900
Shoebones and Bannocks in Wyoming; 1,0o0
shoehones. Bannocks and Piutes ii Oregon.
Second-Those who are thoroughly convinced
of the necesaitv of labor and are actually under
taking il, and will more or less accept the direc
lion and assistance of Government Agents to
this end These number about 5l:429, and are
summed up as follows: $500 Chippewss and
Amenomonees in Minnesota and Wiscon-
sin, 338 Sacs and Foxes in Iowa, 4,622
Sioux, T3O Poncas and sI3 Rees in Da-
Montana, and 1850 mixed shoshones aud Ban
nocks and Sheep-eeters, and 1,2;U Nez Perces In
idaho; 295 Kickapoos, so3 Kaws and 2972 osages
in the indian Territory, 100 Pah Utes on reserya-
tion in Nevada 575 Utes in Utah, $50 MohaVes
and Haulapses in Arizona, 9.063 Nayajoes in
New Mexico and 1 ,0E6 among the different tribes
In Washington Territory, Oregon and California
Tbird-Those who have come into possession
nfa
stock and implements belonging to landed es-
tate This class comprises 5.130 Senecas and
other Indians In New York; 11,l74 Chippewas
and other Indians In Michigan, Wisconsin and
Minnesota: 2,TS0 Sioux at Sisseton, Santee ans
Flandreau Agencies; 6 Iowas and 135 Winnie
bagoes In Nebraska; $50 Pottawatamies and
Kickapoos in Kansas; 800 Osagcs, 1900 Chloe
taws, 1900 Creeks, 800 Chickasaws, 2,48s
Seminoles, 17,217 Cherokees, and 4,141
belonging to smaller bands in the In
dian Territory; 100 Eastern Cherokees in North
4 Npz I'M Idaho. 81
mas and others in Washington Territory; and
1O9O5 Pueblos in New Mexico. Within the above
cIudcd 4,Soo Pimas and Maricobas and COCO
Papagues in Arizona, and majority of the 5000
Mission Indians in California, who have always
been selfsupporting, and only within short
time have been furnished by the Government
with agent and Il few employees.
A fourth class of roamers and Migrants Is emu
merated consisting Of $40 Winnebagoes in Wis
consin, $50 Kickapoos in Kansas, known as Moko-
hOko's band, 5000 Diggers and others in Calitor-
mia, 1900 Indians ON the Columbia River, Utes
in Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Arizona;
1850 Ynmas and others in Arizona, and
200 scattered Indians in North Caro-
lima, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida and Texas,
The Commissioner says a decided advance has
been made during the year in the direction of
securing control and influence over the Indians
embraced in Glass !, and the way has opened
quite perceptibly for much larger and more
hopeful work among them during the coming
year The first requisite In the treatment of all
Indians of this class is irIhness ANY outrages or
depredations should be followed up promptly
and punished at all hazards and at any cost. ANY
lenency which comes in to prevent this is an ex-
pensive and mistaken kindness.
The 81, 40 people embraced in Class 2, the Com
missioner says, may be properly classified as
Indian novitiates in civilization. They have
largely broken away from heathenish practices,
are generally abandoning the medicine dance,
and have come directly under the influence and
control of religious teaching For this class OF
Indians, the beginnings Of civil government,
large increase OF school facilities, lands in sew
ltVNfr
teachers of trades and agriculture, together with
farming implements, seeds and stock, are needed.
The third class, composed of Indians who,
without violence to the term, may be called civil
lied, il most numerous. All of them have been
greatly assisted in attaining to this condition by
the direct and longcontinued religious teachings
form of civil government and the Inauguration of
a process through which they may cease to be
Indians by becoming American citizens.
OF the roamers, numbering about 14,a00, little
can be said except that they generally as
harmless a. Migrants and yagabonds can be In a
civilized country They are found in all stages of
degradation, produced by RIGHTEOUSNESS, intem-
perance, idleness and poverty, without land,
unwilling To leave their haunts for homestead
upon reservation, and scarcely In any way
related TO or recognized by the Government, they
drag out miserable life.
The report states that the Sioux number $1,000,
the greater portion of them :. yet unreached by
civilization" -Four thousand four hundred and
forty-four of the more tractable received rations
from the Government at eleven different agencies,
and from 5000 to 10000 of the wilder class "con-
scented to visit the agencies when on 7" an occa-
sional raid for rations." The wildness of the
Sioux and the non-adaptability OF the country
they inhabit to their support in civilized mode
of life make the future of the tribe serious
problem.
In reference to the Black Hills the Commission
says that all legislation looking To settlement
of this region BY the whites should be frowned
down, as IL would create decentralization among
the Sioux The REIMBURSEMENT Of the right
given in 1868 to the Red Cloud and Spotted Tail
e. ha1t.
be obtained by paying the Indians $4,000
Their right to roam in Wyoming still eX-
lists, although their repeated violations OF the
treaty made with them would justify the
Government the report states, in abrogating 1t.
Without calling for vigorous operations by the
military, it would be Impossible, Commissioner
Smith asserts to put tSP to the constant h a ths
southwestern portion of the Indian Territory:
But the necessity of fighting these Indians would
have been obviated by frmness and promptness
in procuring the punishment OF the crimes G. IN
dividua Indians and of white marauders In their
Territory.
The question of the future of the wild Indians
In the Indian Territory, he says, IL very serious
one their deep and ayowed aversion to any
settled life cannot be overcome so long as they
are on the border OF vast, unoccupied plains, ana
almost within sight of herds of buffalo, and makes
IL wellnigh impossible to secure settlers In
Northern Texas and New Mexico from pilfering
and murderous attacks by smai parties or by
individuals of these tribes. The remedy
sugges ted IL to procure from the Cherokees. Choc
taws and Chickasaws sufficient quantity OF
land, in five different tracts, suited to herding
and agriculture; disarm and dismount these
wild Indians, and remove them TO these locall-
ties. furnishing them cattle in return for their
ponies and rations and clothing In return for
their labor in building houses and opening farms
for themselves. .
The Commissioner concludes by stating MS
conviction of the feasibility OF Indian ciyiliza-
ton, and that the difficulty of Its problem IL not
so inherent In the race, character and disposiion
of the Indian, great As these obstacles are as IN
his anomalous relations to the Government, and
in his surroundings affected by the influence ana
interest of the white people; that the main dlni-
entity, 40 far az the Government IL concerned,
lies In the fact that the Indians deepest need ~
that which the Government through its politicai
organizations and operations, cannot wen De-
stow. The first help which man in barbarism
requires IL not that which can be afforded through
political party, but that which II onerec by
fellow-man wiser than himself coming personally
and extending q hand OF sympathy and truth;
that no amount OF appropriations and no govern
mental machinery can do much toward iiitlhg an
ignorant and degraded people except az IL WORKS
through the willing hands OF men made suDng
and constant by their love for their fellow-men
Public Land and Patent Statistics
The following statement and Stats
tics are taken from the late report OF the