New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-28
THE RED MEN OF THE STATE
IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS FOR TIE soLu'
TIoN OF THE INDIAN PROBLEM
IMPORT OF AN ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE YIN 1hI
lsoc1A1, AND MORAL. CONDITION. OF THE
STATE TRIBES ACCOMMODATIONS
no rur rrcrsI,kTuRE.

,rcr,,. copprspoxpEST oP THE TRIBuNEl
Albany. Jan, o7.-The white people now lN'ns ~
A.. state ~ New-York are apt 10 forgee 'h~c hore
are st TO be found within sts ilnis svsoA"i ."Ou'
sand Indians Nearly all of the stato iu''s.
tons are situated in places OH sn' IN II 90.
railways.Sso that travellers r&reD Soo -. - '
"a as reysnapers have little occasion 10 say any
ana a. hes ss .h nubic generally is MT aware
sh ~ Indians that yet form
- a. ,.nr,aton OF the State. The reservations
so.,.sred ibout the state, seme Oh hcas isano,
.S. -a.r ~ Canada border, DINERS III 'ho central
Mt ~ the state and some IN inc ex'lsi"o Ne''e,n
o. 800, m. reservations in this sr'e nave inc
to,,oug,ne Indian population. -.--a-- ~.
onopaass 49, i isS es,tasausas .......LssSSSS
Tonswsndss ..-.....-. 80 Total ...-.' 4'9Oo
oH ~ 1sss James S. whipple, who represented ono
Assembly distcts Of Cattaraugus County, INTRO
sa.sd resolution in the Legislature for the appoint
nsnt Of committee to visit the various rescrvaIlohs
rd take testimony for the OF the Legislature re-
ca,dinr tho social moral and Industrial conaluoh OK
En- several tribes and the amount OF lana cuiuVsieO
trd uncltivaed upon their respective rescrVauons'
THE resolution was passed and the eommiteee was
.npolnted. with Mr.. whipple as It's Chairman LUG
ommtee was also authorized to investigate the ute
a. The lands on the several reservations, and TO learn
vhss treaties were made by the state OIL new horA
ard The United states with the indians.
The committee has visited since June all tine
,.ssrv.tions. and has taken large amount of evF
depce regarding the condition OF the indians. lho
,sport based upon this evidence viii be suom''e"
10 the Assembly by Mr. whpple tomorrow evening.
The report is a highly interesting document and
cannot but be- of great value to the members OF the
Legislature IN guiding their proposed legiSiauon 10
esrJnr the reservations. The document opens WIN
carefully prepared history OF the indians OF each
reservation aud their legaa relations with the sea@
.ot Nov-Yorl 1t shows that there Will have TO De
nui,s contest in the courts before the legal tsho
Of tho Indians of the state and of the United sa'eS
arc dsterm;ned Unfortunately much-necded M
movement I'm the condition OF the indians depends
upon the result of these lawsuits Ancient trcaues
stand In tho way of the stase lifting the Indians on
some reservations out Of condition Oh sNseels'
The moral and social condition OF the ohohuasa Az.
dams is reported be especially deploraoe a'housa
their reservation is situated only six miies nom INC
city OF syracuse and they are surrounded WIN eA
eelIent influences The committee speak thus plainly
about this reservation:
Tbe,o are two schools upon the reservation, one
a state school and one conducted by the Eplscopss
missionary, II With ri the modern appliances for
successful school With one hulareu W. daliy
sssOS sss r on hRe The progress Of ne
Inden children in matters OF education anu noasas
The majority of the Indians Of this reservation are
unfriendly to the schools, ana as Iesuh she' ,rSo
me dno ~ az SUPERINTENDENT Newman clearly estab-
fishes The existence of this unfriendy feeling alons
he acres Of land upon the reservation With
not more than twothas of II under cnVstoh o. any
lind We were msble to procure rom the eo Si
an acre OF land upon which there could be schooi-
house built ,,.,sos into ,,vo VARIES
Christian and pagan, with the pagans in the maOrS
who control the government oy Naae 10 lAUm nhnr
ihe chief system. The chiefs, tTentysN IN humocI
ava distinguished as being warrior and principal ana
ere divided equally. There are no ShIlsnah Si.ois
Ssrd 'n Tine case Of the witness Albert cusck Is
stirling Illustration of this practice he DN was tSe ma
shlef of the Six Nations. Upon his becoming a
Christian he immediately deposeG anu gs san
afsl,s from grace in the estimation Of me paesns
The government as It now eSsts hhSer T. eoprIpt
and vicious; law and order are entirely lOfo's" ~
OF the land cultivated this reservation fouIhihs
Is tllcd by white In this productHe tce93 .h
VIZ ,.yes IN nav on other burdens 20 bear. these
people have lived from hand to mouth for more tnah
ons nSbEn 70 Work and The present policy Of the
State does much TO encourage them In DONG morning.
But the committee is compelled TO paint the oHOn'
daga Reservation In even darker colois
Ths moral and social condition of the indians
on this reservation is deplorable and IN me is1
OF AndTew Drsper rt o SeostFoaSle vice
where wedlock is commonly tieaied Win lnalieva1u,
where SUPERSTITION si by bssns with an attendance
Of both sexes and all ages where there Is no law 70
S nan or sse is one Of choac barSsrsm
The evidence of Chancellor sims, OF syracuse
University fully S ssaas snG are neoorsS and
filthy beyond description. The roofs OF their houses
Leaking the windows We're open S Mr. soG u dis
comfort Is the Characteristic OF nearly al OF the ona
inr. The social life among inc SS esoGO,se say
sacredness in the marriage relation There are ts e0
msrrass among In a 5@en Woman Without ceemony They
live together for six months Or year or lonser, Oh
for life time as ,t sS a Ss rserenee to marriage or
children, or anything OF the hnu' 1heie 10 NJ Pre
ence Or iS p The Christian while they profess
Christianity, are fuctuatng people sney are psga ~
sspaiate they go the pagan side and separate
90 there s no occasion for divorce. any excuse 10
srt osck another witness says The character
NJ the Young people, especially the girls Is morally bad
Isg NAE ,oeb more evidence on this subject which
IS too revolving in is nature 70 90 pSceo IN uAS
missionary societies yearly expend considerable
sums of money and much time In endeayorng to
,o,inS,nvs are Of such nature and their habits Of
life of such character that the SoOd Woik OF the
utterly futile The more the Indians are helped the
moro dependent they become Their present S con,
long as they are permitted 10 remain IN this condition
just so long will there remain upon me iar lame VI
the Empire State stain OF no smsh ihaeh'uuc'
The committee did not find all the reservations in
as bad condition the onondaea Reservation
Thus they report concerning the oneidas
The land formerly the Oneida Reservation and now
commonly known as such by an act OF the leglSia-
ture was long since divided among the Indians
there IN severalty and they own t In fee These
Indians not only manage and cJltivaie al OF this
land themselves, hut In many instances nave put ui,
chased quantities Of the lands OF the whites and paid
for them. They have observed the habits and
practices Of the white farmers among men, ann nave
60 profted by their example that the committee IN
going the territory unable 20 distinguish In
point OF cultivation the Indian farms from those Of
the whites.
Concerning the Tusearofa Reservation the COM
ittee say that none Of the pagan rites practiscd
on this reservation and most OF the Indians call
themselves Christians. They own 6,o49 acres Of
land of which they cultivate $500 acres.r
In relation TO the Tonawan6a Reservation, The
committee report;