Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-18
THE NAVAJO TROUBLES.
AN INTERVIEW ON THE SUBJECT
WITH GENERAL M'COOK.
An Attempt at Compulsory Education
Irritatss an Unruly Brother
Known rs the Black
Horse.

General McCook, attired in quiet
suit of gray tweed, arose to greet the
| HERALD reporter as he entered the de-
partment commanders room at head.
quarters. The reporter lost no time in
| propelling conundrum:
General, what is there in this Navajo
outbreak"
"There is no outbreak, that l am
aware Of" responded the commander,
"but there is likelihood of bad one
if the matter be not handled with the
greatest tact and dellcacy."
| "And why bad one, may / ask?"
Because" replied the general, 1.-THE
Navajoes are the most peaceful and
| thrifty Indians in all that section OF
country. They have the sympathy of
white settlers to larger extent than
YOU are aware of, in the event of an out.
break, because they are peaceful as a
class. Then they are thrifty and &C.
cumulative, as q people. The Navajoes
| had, at the last census,
A MILLION AND A HALF OF SHEEP.
And you will allow me to add that, in
New Mexico, sheep are cash article in
most instances. Scores of buyers for
| the New Orleans and Texas markets
visit the Navajo country every year. So
you will see readily that they are in a
much better position to make an ugly
fight than were the Oregon Modocs, who
held the whole government at bay for
nine months"
81 am quite familiar with that war;"
| said the reporter.
Then let me tell you, sir, that the
Navajoes are just as brave, a great deal
more numerous and in every way better
| able to make an ugly fight than were
! the Modocs. They live in a mountain.
GUS and Inaccessible country, and they
have supplies enough to keep them for
two years. l don't want to fight peace
able and thrifty people like those. They
make much more stubborn fighters than
those who are always at war, 60 am in
hopes that somebody will be sent out
from Washington to settle the matter
quietly"
| A COMPULSORY EDUCATION ROW.
care the Navajoes large people ?"
asked the reporter.
"Yes. that'e the worst part OF it," re-
piled General McCook, 1.-The crowd that
are making this fuss under the leader
chip OF an aged chief called Black Horse
| form less than one-sixth of the Navajo
nation. The other fve-sixths are well
| behaved and orderly Indians, of very
little expense to the Indian department,
so it would be downright shame to make
war upon them"
What is at the bottom of all this
fuss ?" asked the reporter.
Compulsory education, sir, to great
extent. There are quite number OF
Indian schools in that part of the coun-
try and the Indian agent, whose name is
Shipley, has been up into Black Horses
country, tai ing away young boys and
girls by violence aud forcing them to 60
to school. This has made the trouble,
which has not yet broken out into open
warfare, although liable to end in tnat
way"
do you believe in educating Indians,
| general2" asked the reporter.
"Yes-and no." replied the COM
mander. "Our discipline with the In
dams is defective because it teaches them
trades, but provides them 10 mea ns of
obtaining useful livelihood after those
trades are acquired. The boys emerge
from Carlisle or that place up in Ore
gon-"
"Chemawa," suggested the reporter.
"Yes, it's all the same whether they
60 to Chemawa or Carlisle. they come
out with fairly good knowledge OF trades
but nobody wants to employ them be-
cause they are Indiane. So they 20
back to their tribes, who have no en-
ployment for tin" roofers or sanitary
plumbers. In the mean time, having
| learned more or less of the white mans
vlces, they coon become the worst and
most vicious of all on reeuming their
tribal relations"
THE ENDIAN woMEN's MISERY,
"And the young squaws who sradu-
ate from these schoola-what Of them 2"
''Their fate is, ii possible, more cruel
than that OF the young men. They are
sent TO the Carlisle school or some
other, where they get fairly good
book education, but no real knowledge
Of the world itself. The government
teaches them, but gives them no employ
ment after leaving the school; and
many Of the N fall an easy prey to the
wiles OF designing men. Those who do
not, go back to their parents. Their
mother and sisters claim share of the
clothing she has worn during her civil
cation and the girl gives it up to them.
She ia at last obliged to go back to the
blanket and breechclout OF her tribe /;
and, some day, along comes some old
buck and buys her for a couple of
ponies, just as be would purchase an
animal. SO the last stage of that woman
ie worse than the first. Her degrade.
ton becomes all the more painful for
the few days OF Sunshine she has had at
school; and she becomes desperate
woman, heltirg at nothing in the shape
OF barbarty."
EMPLOYMENT FOR INDIANS.
"How can these evils be remedied ?'
asked the reporter.
| SIT is hard to ssy,h replied the gen.