Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-17

progressive, intelligent and more civilized
class among them, and it is through this
mongrel element that the Indian is to be
finally amalgamated and absorbed.
A peculiar feature of the Indian customs
is that the family tree is traced
from the mother instead OF the
father, and their words distinguish
ing different degrees Of relation are limited.
For instance, their language has no equiv
alent for the words uncle" or aunt" and
all are either brothers or sisters AS con-
sequence every uncle is deemed the father
of all his brothers children and every aunt
their mother, so that when man dies,
leaving children, his brothers stand in the
place of a parent and are charged with their
care and support. This tradition. which
traces the family tree to the mothers side,
has produced great many curious results
IN their tribal aud individual conduct. 1t
causes peculiar yeneration to be paid to
their teachings and habits. l. is on this
account that progress among In
may attend School for five UHS years lA4 and
come out educated and polished, but
within q month after his return 10 the tribe,
he is again robed III a blanket, wearing
paint and feathers and the gaudy hnery of
the typical Indian. The tribal relations and
the holding Of lands in common. are also
detrimental 10 rapid progress.
as the Cherokee outlet are several minor
tribes, chief Of which are the Osages, Paw
nees and Otoes. The first Of these is
probably the most civilized. II numbers
about 1900 persons, and is one of the
wealthiest of all the Indian tribes. Their
reservations comprise about 5000 square
miles and they receive BIG per annum per
capita for each man, woman and child be-
longing to the tribe. The Otoes have
reservation containing about 400
square miles, and the members
or the tribe number about three hundred
and eighty. This tribe draws $4,000 semi
annually in cash from the United States
government. The Pawnees number about
eight hundred, occupy about five hundred
square miles in their reservation, and draw
Si3 per head semi-annuaIly from the United
States. OF these tribes the Osages are the
most advanced and the Pawnees are farthest
behind. The latter are yet largely in
blankets and usually appear daubed with
red and yellow paint and dockcd out in all
the colOrS of the rainbow. The OsageS
have really MADE much advancement to-
standardization. Their capital, Powlinska,
though containing little more than the
agency buildings, is in many respects an
important place. This tribe has court of
three judges to whom all disputes between
members OF the tribe are referred and
in which they are settled They are pro-
vided with prosecuting attorney and have
printed code of laws.
All of these tribes are well provided with
horses, wagons and farming implements
and do more or less filling Of the soil aftera
fashion.
a great many white men have settled
among these tribes, some securing permits
and farming as renters and others marrying
Indian women and becoming "squaw men,"
II is rare that all Indian marries a white
woman, but the number of whites marrying
squaws is quite large. As a consequence
the number oil full bloods'' is decreasing
year by year and the ''half bloods" are be-
coming proportionately stronger. At the
present rate it viii not take many years 10
eZtinguish the ''full bloods.''
It is expected that the new policy now
adopted oy the government, looking toward
the breaking up of the tribal relations, the
allotment of the lands in severalty and the
admission Of the Indians to citizenship and
suffrage, viii in a short while solve the In
dian problem upon satisfactory basis.
The time is at hand for the abolition of the
large Indian reservations; and in five years
new commonwealth will add their stars to
our national flag. having their seats where
now in native wilderness the last remnants
of weaker race have their haunts and
habitatiOuS Y Y