The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-05-21
AMERICAN INDIANS.

AMERICAN INDIANS.
Increase Of Births Ameae The varisas
Tribes and Natioas Of Red skins.
The belief is quite popular that the
Indian is rapidly passing away. This
is not the belief of those who have given
the most study to the subject Accord
ing to the best authorities. Is race.
there are now - many Indians In our
country - there ever were. Since the
discovery of this continent BY COlum-
bus. the Indian has held his own But
beyond this general statement. how far
is it safe to goe While some smaller
tribes in New England have undergone
the process of humiliation and amalga-
ton with the white population 50 IS to
almost lose their tribal ideatity (as. for
instance, the Pequots, Of whom only
one full-blooded male Is now living).
yet the Indians as . people are not thus
disappearing; neither dOswe believe II
to be their destiny thus to disappear. II
we notice the record of single tribes. in
this respect, the above is most emphati-
cally true. The Cherokee nation. b.
ing one of the oldest of which we have
any authentic records, will serve IS an
illustration. In 1909, under the direc-
ton of the United States Indian agent,
there was made an actual enumera-
ton of this tribe, which proved the
population then to be 1885.
Drake. in 1885, estimates the Cherokee
population at Is, 593. Gallatin. in 1856.
on the authority of the Indian depart
ment, reports the Cherokee population
at 1000 Passing over forty years, we
find in 1876. that according to Govern
ment report, the population has in
creased to 2l,O72; and in 1884 to 70. 100;
This shows q gain in seventy-five years
(1SO9-1sS4) Of 1905. and in forty
eight years (lS36-1SS4) a gain of II 100.
and in eight years 1S76-1SS4). 5.O2S.
To the above increase should be added
the 1000 which persisted in the removal
of 1888. with regard to which Commits
siOner Hayt says Undian report. 1870:
Enforced expatriatiOn has probably
done more to retard the increase of In
dian population than war, pestilence or
famine; perhaps more than all combined.
From the time they (the CherOkees) were
gathered into camps by the United
States troops in May and June. 1888.
till the time the last detachment reached
the Arkansas country, which was about
ten months, q careful estimate shows
that not less than 1900 or 1850 were
removed by death. being on an average
from thirteen to fifteen deaths day.
for the whole period, out of q pOpula-
ton of 5000, or one-fOurth of the
whole number" The Navajo tribe are
commonly reported to have doubled
their population within the last fifteen
years. The actual statistics. as reported
by the Government, are as follows:
Population in 1873, OLA: population in
1883. 1900; gain in ten years, 1885.
With regard to the increase among
the Sioux, Rev. Stephen X. Riggs. after
forty years of service among the people
as q missionary. says: AT various
times in the progress of our mission
work we have kept life-tables for a sim
gle Dakota village. and always, l be-
lieye. with the result that the births
somewhat exceeded the deaths" And
in reply to the question, is the Indian
diving out? he answered.: mo. sir; !
do not think that the facts which are
before us at all justify the belief that
the Indians are necessarily at all van
ishing race" Rev. j. p. Williamson,
after q life of work and observation.
says regarding the increase of the same
people: '.FOrty years ago the Sioux
were supposed to number 5000. which
was probably an overestimate. as il
was based on the number Of lodges. the
rule being to count ten persons to a
lodge, which think very seldom the
case. Now QS7O, the Sioux are esti-
mated at 80, 900. though 10000 would
probably be a better count, and as near
the truth as $4,000 was forty years ago,
which would show an increase of sixty
per cent. in forty years.
II we turn now from the increase of
single tribes to the question of the in
crease of the Indian nation as a whole,
we find that the total number of births
for five years 1S79-18S4) is 1857; the
total number of deaths for the same
years. IA, 1872; making q clear gain in
births over deaths for . period of five
years. 2,s05. Again. this gain in pop
ulation is not. as many suppose, merely
the natural gain which comes from the
decrease of mortality among the infants
and small children. While the agency
physicians, . better knowledge of the
laws of health. better homes. clothing
and food. will in part explain this in
crease, yet the fact still remains that
the actual birth-rate is also increasing.
Referring again to the report of the In
dian Commissioner. We find that the
total number of births in 1874 was 2. 132.
while in 1884 it had risen to 4.751.-
Charles w. Shelton, in Missionary Her
aid.
NEAR SiGHTE0NESS.