The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1885-12-09
OUR INDIANS.
Annual report of j. ID. g. Adkins. Com
missioner OF Indian affairs.

w ASh1NuioNs beCtlHueF .l.-Uenefal u !.
d. G. Adkins, commissioner of Indian af-
fairs, has submitted his annual report to
the secretary of the interior for the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1885. The commits
sioner prefaces his report with the state
ment that cit requires no seer to foretell
or forpsen the
CIVILIZATION OF THE INDIAN
race as a result naturally deducibe from
the knowledge and practice upon their
part of the art of agriculture, for the his
tory Of agriculture among All people in all
countries intimately connects it with the
highest intellectual and moral develop
ment Of man."
INDIAN FARMING.
He continues: "The increase of the in
terest manifested In agriculture since the
opening OF last spring and the prepara-
tion on several reservations for still in
crease acreage in farming are among the
hopeful signs of Indian PROCESS and de-
velopment. This brings me directly to a
consideration Of the practical policy which
should be adopted by congress and the
government in the management of the In
dians. 1t should be gravely and indus
triously impressed npon them that they
must abandon their tribal relations and
take land in severality, as a corner stone
to their complete success in agriculture
which means self-support, personal inde-
pendence and material thrift.
THEIR SURPLUS LANDS.
The government should, however, in
order to protect them, retain the right to
their land in trust for twenty-five years
or longer, but issue trust patents at once
to such Indians as have taken individual
holdings, when the Indians have taken
their lands in seyeralty in sufficient guam
titles and number of acres in each hold
ing, which may and should vary in differ
ect localities according to the fertility,
productiveness, climate and other advan-
tages. Then having due regard for the
Immediate and future early needs of the
Indians, the remaining lands of their res-
ervatious should be purchased by the gov
ernment and opened to homestead entry
at 80 or Is cents per acre.
PROVIDING FOR THEM.
The money paid by the government for
their lands should be held in trust in five
per cent bonds, TO be invested as congress
may provide, for the education, civilization
and material development and advance of
the red race, reserving for each tribe its
own money. If this policy were adopted
Systematically by the government it would
be strange if in five years from its estab-
lishment there should be any Indian of
any tribe who would refuse to accept so
favorable and advantageous measure.
Every step taken, every move made, ev-
cry suggestion offered, everything done
with reference to the Indians should be
with view of impress sing upon them that
is the policy which has permanently been
decided upon by the government in ref
erence to their government.
CIVILIZATION THE RESULT.
They must abandon their tribal rela-
tions, they must give up their supersti-
tions, they must forsake their savage hab-
its and learn the arts of civilization, they
must learn to labor and learn to rear their
families as white people do and to know
more cf their obligations to the govern
ment and society. In other words, they
must learn to work for living, and they
must understand that it is their duty to
send their children to school. When the
farm and the school have become familiar
institutions among the Indians and rea-
sonable time has interviewed for their
transition from barbarous or q semi-ciV-
ilized state to one of civilization then will
the Indian be prepared to take upon him
self the higher and more responsible du-
ties and privileges which appertain to
American citizenship.
NUMBER OF INDIANS.
There are in the United States, exclu-
sive of Alaska, 260,O 900 Indians, fully half
of whom have declined as yet 20 commit
themselves to the life of the farmer. Ex-
elusive of the lands cultivated by the i've
civilized tribes, the number Of acres IN
cultivation by the Indians during TINS
year was 24S, pa, an increase OF 1919
over last years figures.
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