Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-10-11
INDIAN POLICY.
the SavaRcs-SugResttons For
Statesmen.
From the Baltimore Gazette, Oct. 3.


While the president and his cabinet are
engaged in finding some solution of the
vexed Indian problem all testimony on the
subject will be of interest and importance.
For hundreds of years, as is we'll known,
full in treating with the Indians than the
Catholic priests Rev. Father Raveille, of
St. Dominick's church, in this city, priest
of French extraction and we'll known piety
| passed three years of his life not long ago
az missionary among the Sioux. In con-
versation to day he expressed himself, with
out the least reserve, on the Indian question,
and made some statements in the way of a
plan to civiiize them which are worthy of
general circulation.
"Of course aaid Father Raveille, 1--WE
can begin with the admission that the past
treatment of the Indians has been very mis-.
guided and brought the very worst of re.
cults. The work il not dose by people
sufficiently diainterested, and hence bad
faith, or rather no faith at all, has been the
result. The Indian, for instance. moves or
is driven to rome reserv alton. He begins to
feel little like home there and cultivates
the land. and along comes the white man,
fences in some of this land, which has been
already seized. Vast amounts of annuity
money are squandered or stolen, 60 that the
Indians are not given even the consolation
Of being paid for what We take. All this
! is wrong.'
"What would your idea be?" we asked.
"Well. there are two very simple rules
First, find out the Indians tastes and incli
/ nations; second. lead them up to civilizs-
Etion by methods that do not conflict too
violently with these tastes and incl,nations
Let me illustrate from my own careful OBJ
sservation. While was among the Sioux I
saw that one great step would he gained if
! We could do something to break up their
tribal organization-that is, make them for
get the authority of their chiefs or warriors
and bring all neighboring tribes into some
such American brotherhood Of feeling and
pursuits as We enjoy in our citizenship: So
long as they remain obstinately clanish it
will be hard to teach them the principles Of
a democratic civilization. They must drop
all this, Just az our foreigners do when they
become naturalized. They will not entirely
overcome their warlike instincts while they
have these tribal divisions, ruled bv chiefs.
who are elevated on account Of their prov
ess on the warpath. tried the experiment
at Devils Lake. where there were three
tribes having their agency. Little Fish,
one of the Sioux warriors. believed in the
plan. and lent me valuable assistance It
worked to charm, and these different
tribes gradually forgot'to draw their tribe
lines closely and mingled on a level in
everything. understand the difficulty of
this work, because the tribal feeling has
been fostered for generations; but I am
equally confident that it is of the very first
importance to accomplish this result, and
believe it could with judicious management,
be reached inside Of fifty years, or two gen.
Grafton, 20 perfectly that scarcely vestige
Of it would remain
"What. then. about the religious educa-
! tion of the tribes ~
~ va, about to mention that" said the
father. You know that for three hundred
years the Catholic priests have been EN-.
ployed in that Indian field. They have 40
conducted Themselves as to win the conf.
I dence Of the people, and YOU will find in
most of the tribes q tradition to that effect
40 strong that they ask for priests of the
Catholic faith. Personally I have the great
est regard aud affection for all missionaries
who go there to labor, and many of them,
Bishop Whipple included, are my warm
friends. do think, however that the In
dian should be a. unfettered in the choice
Of his religion n any white citizen Of the
country. Much i'll feeling has been eneen-
dered among them by their wishes in these
matters heing disreearded. I cannot eee
what right the government has to force the
Indians at any agency to accept spiritual
adviser they do not want The Sioux. 1t
the present conference. have made partic-
ulsr request for Catholic priests to be their
teachers and they will naturally feel diap
pointed if others are aent them. The policy
in this respect should be changed"
"What plan would Won adopt" ws then
asked, 10 reduce the Indian to q doaestic
creatures"
-'Tha. will asavss hv an anerio,e -
One bitter cold nigh. while waa with the
Sioux up near the Canada line, we'll known
chief. aamei La Rear, csNe into nv hu..
! had cent for him to try an experiment.
said to hin: 'Lonk ~. ne Asss in this
nom. Len Pear. See wAas Civilization can
do. The wind on the prairie. Il sharp: the
snow IL de.p. hni herr is . sinve that warrs
The air. Here is bod. where I can deep
aSd uo4 frsssr- Here |. my tahaa With
q.