The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-30
THE INDIAN QUESTION.
Talk with Secretary Teller About tie
Apaches and Indians in General.

Talk with Secretary Teller About tile
Apaches and Indians in General
National Republican.
THE Apaches were making trouble the
very day We talked OF their good behavior,
Mr.. Secretary"
"Oh no" said Mr. Teller, mot the reser>
vation Indians They are behaving them
selves well enough. The fellows who are
making the trouble are Indians who have
been down in Old Mexico all winter-vaga-
bondish, fighting Indians, who make trouble
wherever they are"
Are there many of these Indians who are
not reservation Indians? "
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
well and take care of themselves
Il notice that a reservation is 20 be sold in
Nebraska?'
"Yes The Otoe reservation: it 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 apiece?'
"Oh, | can't telli'
"a hundred dolars?"
More than that At the 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
continue to live there upon the remainder
with the money they will have from the
land Sold"
And will this reducing of the reserva-
| tions continue from year to year?'
TO some extent; you know there is trea-
ty which will undoubtedly be ratified at the
next session of congress- by the terms of
which the great Sioux reservation in Dakota
will be very considerably cut down, and the
| Indians upon what is left will be put to rails
| ing stock and farming under instruction and
supervison."
"You have faith in this plan?'
ut is the only plan, am convinced The
Najos take care of themselves now on their
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"
do they live in houses?'
Some; bnt mostly in tents"
How about the Indians on the small res,
ervations scattered over Michigan and Wis
consin?'
"They live in houses, most of them and
are working away like the settlers around
them"
Don't you think that all will eventually
work themselves into kind of civilization
and be thought of no more than the Pequots
in Connecticut or the Long Island and New
York Indians?'
Yes; excepting those on the largest reser-
vations. They will keep up distinctive
mode of life-the Indian life, not much affect
ed by surroundings"
But looking at itin long stretches of time
say 200 or 800 years?'
"Ohl as to that, of course it 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 all
the affairs of the nation"
"You believe in the Indian schools?'
Confidently. They have shown that the
Indians can be taught to take care of them.
selves. The only way to ever settle the In
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 turn
ing over the money to them. and this giving
to them literally of beef and -four keep them
fat and lazy whether they do anything fof
themselves or notP'
Mono. 1t don't amount to enough for
that. OF course all bargains and treaties with
them must be kept but it does not amount
to enough to support them in any case, and
no Indians are SO contented as those who
take care OF themselves