Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-01-25
INDIAN HOME LIFE.
ST1LLsABAvAGE DESPITE CIVIL
IzINei INFLUENCES. &
Los Social, Moral and intellectual
Rroeress Exceedingly Slow
Life in tho REPRESENTATIVES
to Which He Cltngs.

-. Our Indian population, writes Moses
Folsom in the Milwaukee Journal, num-
bers about 2SO. QUO, aud Gil west of the
Mississippi except 30, 900. None are
hostile except few in the Southwest
along tho Mexican frontier. The total
z number belonging to agencies under
supervision of religious bodies is of
ncially reported in round figures at $780,
s 600. There are not less than 3UO schools
on the various reservations. Tho Indian
child, as I rule is an apt scholar.
Since the disappearance of large game
and the degeueracy of the Indianinto q
suppliant for government aid, he is rot
es much of man as he was. When sur
rounded by large white population, as
IN the East, something may be expected
of him; but the average reservation In
dian now has little to do except to gam
y bic and horse race while waiting for
government rations. The Indian woman
does all of the work, pitches the tepce,
gathers wood, cooks, cares for the horses,
etc. She is considered property rs much
as horse, and the husband can sell his
wife as the father sells his daughter. 1t
is. considered eifeminate in au Indian to
show affection for his wife.
The home, lodge or tepee of the plain
Indian is conical in shape and made of
hides or canvas stretched on u framework
of poles. 1t depends on the 81 of the
family for its size, but is seldom more
than 20 feet in diameter and 10 feet high.
The fire is built in tho center, and the
smoke escapes from hole in the top,
which, being guarded by winged cap,
usually prevents the wind from blowing
IN. The draught, however, is not per-
feet by any means, and the tepec in cold
weather is too full OF smoke for any one
not used to it. 1t is not easily overturned
by storm and little fuel keeps it warm
The beds are made of robes and blankets
spread on tho ground close to the outer
part, and serve during the day for seats
They are never ''madc up" as the white
housewife understands the term. The
Indian is not selfish, and so fond of
than one family. All livc sleep, cook
and eat in the little space, and when
pots, kettles and supplies are brought
inside during the cold weather, the iu-
eide of tho tepec becomes frightfully
unclean. The wives of an Indian able
to have several all sleep in the same bed.
Like white gambler with his dam
onds, the Indian can make his wives q
source OF revenue by selling them when
misfortune comes upon him. Living us
they do there is n total absence of privacy
in the domestic life of an Indian. The
mother has carly charge of her little
ones, and soon teaches them not to cry
by holding her hind over their mouths
and pinchlng their noses until they are
almost suffocated, aud they soon learn
that silence is the best policy This
habit was adopted to prevent outcries
in times of peril. The Indians live much
in tie open air, and children brought to
.nIx r
sighted that they cannot see letters or
small pictures on tho printed page.
Adults are usually impatient in illness,
and seldom survive protracted or severe
spells of sickness. They cat most every
thing, meat heretofore being their main
subsistence, but where the Government
is trying to make farmers of them they
take readily to vegetables.
In the tcpee life they have no regular
hours for meals, but eat when hungry,
usually boiling thoir dried meat Birds,
reptiles and small game they eat ontrails
and all, and generally raw and VIII lie
blood warm. All of them wear more OF
less of the clothing of white men
%pauts giving them more trouble to get
used to than any other garment An
Indians idea of full dress is to hear
everything he has on himself, and then
he is not in full forgery unless his face
Is besmearcd with paint, sometimes
quite artistically streaked, or worked
into figures.
Most of the agents prefer Indian police
to preserve order, and when 80 employed
they are dressed in army uniforms,
mounted and we'll armed They arc
picked men, and always loyal and faith
full to duty. When this great cattle range
becomes we'll settled by whites many OF
these Indians will become herdmen, and
ill that way make themselves useful.