National Republican., 1883-04-26
INDIAN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
A Random Talk with Secretary Teller
Touching Some Recent and Pending
NTatfera


A Random Talk with Secretary Teller
Touching Some Recent and Pending
Matters.
"The Apaches were making trouble the
very day we talked of their good behavior,
Mr.. Secretary"
"Oh no." said Mr.. Teller, mot the reserva-
tion Indians. They are behaving themselves
well enough. These fellows who are making
the trouble are Indians who have been down
in Old Mexico all neutrality-suspicious. light
ing Indians, who make tronble wherever they
are"
Are there many of these Indians who are
not reservation IndiansP"
"No, There are these Apaches and some
scattering bands on the northern frontier.
Those on the British boundary make little
trouble; they mind their own business pretty
we'll and take care of themselves"
al notice that reservation is to be sold in
Nebraska2"
"Yes. The Otoe reservation IL is half in
Nebraska and half in Kansas. The Otoes are
already gone from it down into the Indian
territory"
"They will get the money!"
They will get it all"
How much apieceH"
"Oh, l can't tell !"
"a hundred dollars Y'
More than that. At tho same time there
will be sold part of the reservation in north
western Nebraska, upon which the Winnie
bago and Omaha Indians live. They have
more land than they need, and they Will con-
tinue to live there upon the remainder with
the money they will have from the land
sold"
"And will this reducing of tho resorva'
tions continue from year to year"
To some extent you know there is treaty
which will undoubtedly be ratified at the
next session of congress, by the terms oi
which the great Sioux reservation in Dakots
will be very considerably cut down, and the
Indians upon what is left will be put to rails
ing stock aud farming under instruction anc
supervision"
"You have faith in this PLAN"
-" 1t is the only plan, am convinced. The
Naos take care of themselves now on theil
reservation in New Mexico. They raise cat
tie, sheep, and horses. and sell their stock like
white men. They have no less than forty
thousand horses"
ado they live in houses?"
"Some; but mostly in tents"
How about the Indians on the small res
ervations scattered over Michigan and Wis.
consin p
"They live in houses, most of them and
are working away like the settlers arounc
them"
"Don't you think that all will eventually
and be thought of no more than the Pequot
in Connecticut or the Long Island and New
York Indians?"
yes; excepting those on the largest re
servations. They will keep up distinctive
mode of life-the Indian lie, not much affected
by surroundings"
but looking at it in long stretches of tint
say 200 or 800 yearsW
"0hl as TO that, of course 1t is reasonable
to suppose that they will be merged in the
population of the country with no peculiari
ties or distinctive marks, and mixing in al
the affairs of the nation"
"You believe in the Indian schools2"
Confidently. They have shown that the
Indians can be taught to take care of them
selves The only way to ever settle the ln-
dian question is to teach the young ones to
take care of themselves and then turn them
loose and make them do it. Let it be root
hog or die with them, as it is with other
people around them. That is the way to set
tie the Indian question"
Won't this selling of good lands and turning
over of the money to them, and this giving t
them literally of beef and -four keep then
fat and lazy, whether they do anything fo
themselves or not?"
Mono. IL don't amount to enough fo
that. OF course all bargains and treaties will
them must be kept but it does not amount t
enough to support them in any case, and NJ
Indians are 80 contented as those who tax
care of themselves