Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-03
THE INDIAN SYSTEM.
How the Educated Red Man is Forced
Back Into Savagery.
NOTES FROM PINE RIDGE.
The Work Done in the Schools Upset on the
Palmetto Horror Of the Situation of Ed
ucated Indian Girls-Some of the Sources Of
Trouble Among the Red Men.
STAFF Correspondents Of The Evening Star.

STAFF Correspondence Of The Evening Star
PINE RIDGE, 8. D.. January %.
The decree has again gone forth from the
Interior Department that the Sioux Indian
the nomad of ages the American Arab, the
national tramp-must work. That same ukase
has been promulgated with such frequency
that it has lost all the force it originally had
and a new reservoir Of power is not possible
under the present system. The System says
work and when the Indian says "What shall I
do?" the System replies, Farm" But, pleads
the Indian, II cannot farm. You have taken
away from me the fertile and well-watered val
leys and have left me these dry and barren
plains, on which rain but rarely falls and where
there ia nothing to soften the intense heat
! of the sun or temper the force of the cyclone"
Earning is best for you," replies the System.
''We have SO decided and you must farm"
A CONTRADICTORY THING.
That is precisely the situation at Pine Ridge
today and it gives me an opportunity to show
what a peculiarly contradictory and extrava-
gantly wasteful thing this System is. At Car
Isle, at Hampton and at Forest Grove hundreds
of young Indians have been taught various
useful occupations ostensibly for the purpose
of lettering their condition in life, yet there is
not an agency in the United States that il not
numbered with hostile and good-for-nothing
element that costs the nation more than a little
to educate at some one OF the institutions
which have mentioned. No one doubts the
propriety of giving the Indian all possible
educational advantages if those advantages can
afterward be utilized for the good of the In
dian and the advancement of civilization, but
what an extraordinary and foolish thing 1t
is to spend money like water in an attempt to
upEft the young savage and then when he or
she has really learned something allow them
to drop back into n condition of which it may
truthfully be said that the last state is worse
than the first.
WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES.
In those large and admirably conducted in
situations of learning the Indian is taught that
there is much that is desirable within the reach
of every one whose endeavor is properly di-
rected. This places before his or her eyes an
ideal existence, in which responsibility, honest
industry and happiness are the principal at
fractions, all of them novelties to the aborigi-
nal mind. Then those estimabls philanthro-
pists, who love to do good to the Indian, pet
these children of nature and lead them in a
straight and narrow path, which would lead to
life time of civilization did not the System
blockade the way effectually that only few
can succeed in reaching the apex and they largely
through personal and, to the nomad, unnatural
persistence. BY and by the time comes when
these young men and young women have COM
pleted their course of instruction and must per-
force return to the reservation because the
System says it is their task to civiliZe their
grandfathers and grandmothers. The educa-
ton they have SO painfully acquired is not to
be used for their own benefit, as many of them
had fondly hoped. but must be squandered in
foolish effort to do something which every
practical person ought intuitively to know is
simply visionary and impossible.
GRAvITATING BACK TO sAvAaERY.
Not an Indian agent in the country but knows
the result that follows in at least 80 per cent of
the cases, but the System is infexible as ever.
The young man may have. for instance, learned
to be tinsmith. He returns to the reserva-
ton and would like to be just what his teach
ers intended him for, but there is no employ
ment for him. Either there is no demand for
his services because of the plentitude of con-
tract tinware or political tinsmith-a tim
smith with a vote-hOlds the situation for
which this boy has carefully and extensively
been trained. That puts the young fellow back
in the tepee. He frequently tries t. do some
thing respectfully profitable and in many in
stances has used his utmost endeavor to secure
the least remunerative kind OF employment
among white people, but fails ninety-nine
times out of hundred. The suit of clothes in
which he left school soon wears out and then
comes the backward transition-a blanket, a
pair of leggings, moccasins a few feathers and
Il breechclout, and he Is once more an Indian.
He is dangerous Indian. The hopes which
once filled his breast have gone and their place
has been occupied by a supply OF bitterness
which lasts all his lifetime. He believes he has
been deceived and he holds the government
and the phi!anthropist responsible.
HOW IT IS WITH THE INDIAN GIRL.
And the girl? There cannot possibly be
places enough for her at the agency-the Sys-
tenn has it $3.50 she, too, returns to the house
Of her fathers and falls victim to the unedu-
Gated lust of some savage, who is happy in his
a1 ho II hal
tectOr-none but the married women are
sacred-and then follows humiliation, such as
her enlightened intellect only can feel Five,
six or seven years of education and of Chris
tian training are wiped out in as many weeks.
The cultured scholar has reached the lowest
level of her race; becomes the squaw of some
polygamous old villain; lives life of dirt and
debasement, the only accomplishment remain
ing with her being her ability to speak the
language Of those who tried to prepare her for
| a reputable existence but VINO failed to render
| assistance when assistance was more necessary
than at any other period.
HOW EDUCATION BECOMES HARMFUL.
Such educated savages cause more trouble at
an agency than all the other members of their
tribe. They realize the enormity of the gov
ernment's offending in the matter of Indian
dealing and they continually scatter the eN kr-
sprouting seeds Of dissension. They read the
newspapers and give local circulation to the
Wliu anu antl-lnulan rumOrS ana threats which
are SO frequently to be found in the weekly
publications printed in border towns They
are easily amenable to bribery and generally
manage to get their price from one party or
the other to any tribal agreement, for they
have great deal of influence. OF course there
are educated Indians who have prospered and
| remained civilized but they are prosperous in
| most cases either because private individuals
have helped them at critical periods when the
System failed Or because they had greater
| strength OF character and more forceful pur-
pose than the average Indian possesses.
HOW THE SYSTEM MIGHT be AMENDED.
Now it is possible to so amend the System as
| to make most of these educated boys and girls
useful members of society. but such an amend
| ment is extremely improbable. Practical
| politics interferes. There is no good honest
| reason why tannery should not be established
| at each of the half dozen more important
| agencies. The hides of beef cattle killed for
| food could be tanned by Indian labor and an
Indian shoe shop could manufacture all the
| civilized footwear required on the reservation.
| There would be ample raw material to supply o
| harness factory as well. Tin ware and like sup
| plies could also be made by Indians who ha We
been taught that trade. If the many wagons
| required here-hundreds of them--were only
| made in this place there would be economy in
| it, for the climate and other causes combine to
| cause frequent and serious disintegration of
| wheeled vehicles made where there is more
moisture in the atmosphere. To make all tbs
| clothing needed would only be question of
| enough girls and a sufficient supply of sewing
machines; and / am sure there are plenty OF
| girls here.