Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-11-28
81 TELEGRAPH.
me- raoUslEs o. SLACK ssssE.


Z
hereby authorized and directed To MAKE
AMI enforce. i,y proper means, such ruies
and regulations a. will secure the attend
anee Of indian children Of suitable age AMI
health nj SCHOOLS established and main
tanned for their benefit, its parpose, OF
cour.e. vas to do good TO these ehilren.
perhsr. Congress did not take fully into
consideration the fact that too much zeal
on this subject might involve serious
trouble.
AZ al events. the Indian bureau Promui-
gated ten rules for carrying this enactment
into effect. One Of them defined ebiliren
az suitable age as all those over hve anu
un.ler eighteen years of age. while suitable
be.lti, was TO be determined By the cerfih-
cate of a piy sieian after medical exam!t,-
anon. Again, where tilere were no; SHIN
ei..nt .lsy schools on the reservation ''or II
far other reasons the good of the children
shall clearly require that they be sent away
from home TO school, they we're 10 be pm,
into schools away from the reservation. In
This latter ease the consent of parents was
ordinarily 10 be secured, Ii practicable,
which of course implies that they were TO 90
with or without consent. Three other
rules. relating to the punishment OF parents
who nigh, endeayor to resist the law, read
this 80,
Gases of refusal to allow children to
he sent TO schools, either on OF off reserya-
tons. or OF opposition to the proper ON
Gers in their attempts To secure the schooi
attendance of Indian children, shall be re-
f,rred 10 the Indian Office, accompanied by
..,ulicit statements setting forth the circum-
stances of each case. Such punishment or
penalties as the circumstances may seem 10
call for will b. prescribed by this Office
s. It is hereby made duty of agents,
.peeial agents, and supervisors of educa-
ton to use their authority wherever neces-
.ary To secure the attendance at school OF
all Indian children within their reach.
.. II shall be proper for agents. after
reporting the facts and being specially au-
thorizeti, to use the indian police force to
comnel attendance at school, wherever
necessary
Il is the application of this system of
forced education that has caused the trouble
in Black Horses band of Navajos. Several
weeks ago it was announced that various
Indians in the Southwest were resisting the
efforts of the agents to put their children
in the schools but the threatened disturb
ances had ceased To attract special attention
cUDllfltUl. 'ttii- 'liA GUN h'o INV ~ u
forced to call the attention of the war lie
partment to the attitude assumed by Black
Horse. whom band is thought 10 be aiiliat-
ing with Il neighboring tribe OF ties. The
whence threatened to the agent, who was
entleasoriny to get til" children into the
scbools. seems to have been thus far all the
actual disturbance manifested, and 1t Is
possible that the affair may be controlled
ike the Keam's Canon affair.
There are two circumstances, however
which make the situation unusually serious
tine of them is the exceptional strength OF
the Navajos, both in numbers and III re-
sources. The annual report made by Cen
McCook shows that there are 10, l"2 mem
bers of this tribe, which would allow for
several thousand warriors, and they are
well armed. They own lls,'9s horses,
300. 900 sheep, and 5000 head of cattle.
Should II tribe like this take to the warpath
the results would be grave; If in addition
il should form an alliance with the southern
ties. who also have certain grievances a
very formidable total of warriors would
take the field in mountainous country,
where campaigning is very difficult.
The second point for consideration is that
taking children away from their parents
and putting them at school is not the only
grievance of the Navajos. and in fact is not
the one on which Gen. McCook dwelt in
his annual report \ much older and more
more widespread trouble is caused by the
conflict between the Indians and white set
tiers over the occupation of lands and the
possession of springs. There are about
5000 of these Indians off the reservation,
and of course they are thereby brought in
to danger of alterations with the settlers
more especially over the question of the
use of the watcrcourses, which are not nu-
merous in that region.
1t might be thought that the problem is
the very simple one of returning the indi-
ans to their reservation. But there are dif-
hcuties in this matter. Much of the reser-
yation is destitute of water aud good graz
ing, and these are essential to the NayaJos.
who have. as has been said, enormous
herds. The knowledge that their reserva-
ton is largely arid and barren has resulted
in the tacit permission accorded to them by
the government for many years TO live be-
yonl its limits. This permission has al
most acquired the character of prescrip-
tive right and even were not that the
ease, it would be extremely bal policy tor
the gos erument to drive them from lands
unassigned to white settlers. and indeed
mostly or wholly unsurveyed, If the result
would he to impcril their herds and thus
their sources of support
Leaving out of view all questions of
jsstice, these Indians are not paupers, but
self-supporting and to take away the
sources of their subsistence by driving them
upon lands where their sheep and cattle
cannot live would be foolish as well "a cruel.
Gen. McCook has proposed II solution of the
difficulty by the withdrawal of the Indians
to certain places supplied with water and
pasturage; but for the moment the point to
note is the possibility that other sources
of trouble may be added TO the school
! question.
/ The cheering feature of the situation is
that the Navajos, rs u whole, are peaceahle,
dociIe, aud disposed to trust in the troops
| to protect their rights. These traits have
! repeatedly been shown, not only in the dis
turbances with settlers from the causes
| already spoken Of but when the reservation
has been invaded by prospcctors in search
of gold. The army officers at Fort Wingate
and elsewhere have for years wisely en-
coufagcd the Indians TO come to them with
their complaints and repeatedly they have
! been able to satisfy them.
Accordingly we now find these officers
/ going upon the reservation TOR friendly
I council with the leading members of the
/ tribe. in order that the latter may. If posi-
/ BILE, themselves bring Black Horse To terms
and convince him and his band that the
only object of the compulsory education
scheme is the good of the Indian children.
| At Fort Wingate are now the headquarters
/ anil Troops c, u, Il, II and l., Second
cavalry, Troop Il fWheelan's) having
( Joined the garrison from Fort Stanton.
! Companies II and |. Tenth infantry, the
| latter an Indian company, are also there.
! These fnrrcs may be adequate to handle
! Black IIarscs band, AMI if the disaifection
! should spread, there are other garrisons in
/ New Mexico aud Arizona that would he
! called upon. But an effort to arrange the
I the troubles peacefully will first he made,
/ ami in doing this it is only fair to consider
the ingrained prcju'lices of the Indians and
! their family affection; for, while education
is Il most desirable thing, TO be unable to
secure il without the horrible barbarism of
a bloody war woull show wretched want of
tact aud Incompetence, to say the least.