The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-10-07
THE INDIAN CENSUS.
The subject Discussed at the Ameri-
can AssociatiOn: for the Advance
ment Of Science.

Boston Advertiser.
Col. Garrick Mallery, United States
army, now attached to the bureau of
ethnology at Washington, discussed
last Monday, a subject of national inter-
est. On the nine previous occasions
when the census of the United States
was directed to be taken, the Indians.
not taxed, forming a part neither of the
voting population nor of any basis of
representation, were simply disregard
ed. The present law provides the emu
iteration and the ascertainment of
their statistics. The change in lepisla-
ton may have arisen from the aban-
donment of the doctrine of necessary
extinction, the .ferue 1,ata.rae theory COM
bated by Col. Mallery at the Nashville
meeting of the association in 1877, and
from the probability of the absorption
Of many of the Indians into taxable and
voting population, which renders them
of future political importance, factor
the effect of which should be estimated.
1t is also probable that the interest in
ethnology research, noticeable through
out the country, has Influenced con-
gress. Gen. Walker, the able superin-
tendent of the census, has availed him.
self of an agency that never before ex-
listed. The bureau Of ethnology, lately
established by act of congress and now
under the direction of Maj Powell, was
entrusted with the whole of the duty in
question. Without the preparation al
ready made by the bureau Of ethnology
the work could not be done accurately,
and by scientific methods. It might
possibly have fallen into the hands of
mere office-seekers, perhaps of persons
interested in the concealment if not
preparation of frauds. The enumera-
ton of the Indians is difficult. Though
restrained more or less successfully
within specified limits, they are still apt
to range ever large regions, and to be
away for long periods from the place of
their compulsory or voluntary habita-
ton. This is especially the case in
summer, and the day of June fixed for
the general census being inappropriate,
the first day of October was selected
instead. There are other causes inter-
fering with accuracy. If fraud is at
tempted it is assisted by an enlarged
paper of recipients of rations: and the
Indians themselves are tempted to
swell their lists both for rations and an
nuities. Hostile or troublesome bands,
under differing circumstances, seek
to conceal their military strength.
The aboriginal reluctance of
each person to give his own
name, and Of all to speak Of deceased
relatives and friends is we'll known.
These and many other obstacles re-
quire that the duty shall be in charge
of persons familiar with the Indian
customs, who both know what to look
for and how to find it. The forms and
schedules of the general census being
wholly inapplicable, others have been
prepared with great care. They are
five in number: 1. Population. Each
sheet is confined to one family in one
dwelling, the unit being of much great
er importance in savage and barbaric
than in civilized life. The location of
the dwelling is given by legal and nat
if a house, whether Of brick, stone,
adobe, frame or log; if pueblo, whether
stone or adobe; if lodge, whether of
cloth, skin, slabs, poles, brush, bark,
fule, stone or earth. The head of
family, often a woman, is first desig-
mated, and the relationship of each
person to that head. For each indi-
vidual the Indian name is given, with
the English translation of that name;
also the English, Spanish, French, or
other name habitually used. This
serves not merely for Identification, but
brings out the names originally desig-
mated on the system of the gems organ
ization, and also the title or sobriquet
generally bestowed in after life from
some achievement or circumstance, Of
ten of sociologic if not historic inter-
est. Mixture of blood between several
tribes, and between Indians and whites
and negroes, is noted, and all matters
relating to advance in civilization, such
as wearing citizens dress, amount and
kind of personal and real property
ownership, in which is recognized cul-
tivation of land and sources of subsis-
tence. 2. The schedule Of vital Stats
tics inquiries into the causes of deaths
during the past year, and the prevalence
of the diseases to which Indians are
subject, among other interesting points
obtaining in the Indian tongue state
ment from the head of the family or
medicine man of the cause of death,
thus showing the aboriginal theories Of
diseases. 8. Industries, embraces every
appropriate particular under that head,
classified for full and mixed bloods, and
adopted whites and negroes, all by
tribes instead of by families and indi-
viduals, as in the population schedule,
and with details more useful for statis-
teal purposes. 4. Education is on the
same principle. Schedule five guides
and simplifes research into the Won
drous system Of ramifed consanguini-
ties and afinities, on which savage So
ciety is founded and depends. The
work of the present census of the In