The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1885-12-10
DEALING WITH THE RED SKINS.
The annual Report Of Commisstoner AGstns
-How He Yould Manage the Indian Bust

-H0tU He WOuId Manage the Indian Bust
ness.
Gen. Atkins, commissioner of Indian af-
fairs, has submitted to the secretary of the
interior his annual reportfo the fiscal year
ended June 80, 1885. The COMMISSIONS
prefaces his report with the statement that
sit requires no seer to foretell or foresee the
civilization OF the Indian race as a result
naturally deducible from the knowledge and
practice upon their part of the art of agri-
culture, for the history OF agriculture
among all people and in all countries init
mately connects it with the highest intel.
lectual and moral development Of man"
He continues: 1.-The increased interest in
| agriculture manifested since the opening
last spring and preparations of several re-
| %servations for still greater increased acre
age in farming are among the hopeful signs
OF Indian progress and development. This
brings me directly to the consideration OF
the practical policy which, / believe, should
be adopted by congress and the government
in the management Of the Indians. 1t
should be industriously and gravely i'm
pressed upon them that they must aban-
don their tribal relations and take lands in
severalty as the corner stone of their COM
plete success is in agriculture, which means
oCiioupDotUy DClooudl lIoCDOh0CuS" oliA
material thrift. The government should,
however, in order to protect them, retain
the right to their and in trust for twenty
five years or longer, but issue trust
patents at once to such Indians
as AVE taken individual holdings. When
the Indians have taken their lands in
severalty in sufficient quantities, land the
number of acres in each holding may and
should vary in different localities accord
inn fo forfi1ifr rrnIncfivanoc c1irn q RIO
and other ad~vantages), then, having due
regard to immediate and future early needs
OF the Indians, the remaining lands OF their
reservations should be purchased by the
government and opened to homestead
entry at SO or rs cents per acre. The
money paid by the government for their
lands should be in trust in 5 per cent bonds
to be invested as congress may provide for
the education, civilization and material
development n advance OF the red race,
rescrving for each tribe its own money.
Ii this policy were adopted systematically
by the government it would be strange if.
in five years from it's Inauguration and
establishment, there should be an Indian
of any tribe in the whole country who
would refuse to accept SO favorable and
advantageous a measure. Every step
taken, every move made, every suggestion
offered. everything done with reference to
OIiC liH SllouIu bO Il ~ NlC" vi liz
pressing upon them that this is the policy
which has been permanently decided upon
by the government in reference. to their
government. They must abandon tribal
relations; they must give up their super
s%titions; they must forsake their savag
habits and learn the arts of civilization.
They must learn to labor and must learn
to rear their families as white people do
and to Know more OF their obligations to
fhn II, npl coofnfr N n "nrl
they must learn to work for a living and
they must understand that it is their duty
to send their children to school. When the
farm and school AVE been familiar institu-
lions among the Indians, and reasonable
time has interviewed for the transition from
barbarism or from a semi-civilized state to
one OF civilization, then will the Indian be
prepared to take upon himself the higher
and more responsible duties and privileges
which appertain to American citizenship.
There are in the United States, exclusive OF
Alaska, 26O, 600 Indians, fully half of
whom have as yet declined to commit
themselves to the life of the farmer. Ex-
elusive OF the lands cultivated by the five
civilized tribes, the number OF acres in cul-
t~ivation by Indians during the year num-
Der 4 S,241, an increase OF 1S,473 since
last years figures" Referring to the In
dian outbreaks in the southwest the com
missioner says: at has been deemed ad-
visable to place all the Apaches Temporal
riiy under charge of the war department,
that department to have the full authori-
ty necessary for their management. This
office heartily sympathizes with the effort
of the war department to control the CHR
icahuas, and l trust that the military will
be able to capture the murderous band
now skulking in the Sierra Madre noun
tains and to bring them to condign punish
ment."