The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-21
OUR INDIAN POPULATION.
The Government Method of Counting tn
Indians.


The result of an apparently fair eff
| fort to count the Indians in this coun-
| try is published in the prelimi nary
bulletins of the census bureau. 1t is
| the work of one Thomas Donaldson,
who reports the total number of red
men to be 249, 273, and declares that
there has been an apparent decrese OF
1,122 in total of 1873, 3s2 reservat ton
Indians since 1889. In the mind of
anyone acquainted with the subject
two rdoubts arise. 1t does not seem
possible that the decrease has been
SO slight, and it is not altogether like
ly that jealous effort to arrive at
the .-ctual number of the aborigines
has now, for the first time, been at
tempted.
The census statistician reports that
many of the special agents engaged
in the work met with serious and dan
gerous opposition. The enumerators
of the five civilized tribes in the Indian
territory were mostly Indians appoint
ed on the recommendation of the prin-
cipal chiefs. At Oraibe, Ariz., trouble
NdS dAl ldCblOudl us
turbance occurred over the question of
enrolment or non-enrollment. One of
the enumerat tors was confined for sew
eral weeks in a Moqui town, but was
finally released. In some localities
meetings were held and native clergy
men advised against enrolment"
The report says further tn at the port
folios Of the enumerators ''were sug-
gestive of books, and many of the In
dians considered them books of new re-
ligious creeds and refused to answer
the questions. Others advised resist
ance, claiming that the enrollm ent was
a scheme to get their names, which
would then be attached to an alleged
treaty, and they would be robbed of
their right to remain on their lands.
Naturally suspicious of white man,
and doubly SO of a government official,
it was only by the cool Judgment and
patience of the special agents that the
work was performed"
There is a great deal of naivete in the
suggestion that the Indians were afraid
of the introduction of new religious
SACCNtos anu bAlCAS - Ii pei I'D 20
more than was intended--in the state
ment that the red men are ''doubly sus-
picious of a government official" In
dian lands have been stolen before this
with less trouble than pretended emu
meration of a tribe. Nearly every can
did man not in government employ,
and great many soldiers and others
not connected with either the census or
the Indian bureau, who has written
about the Indians, has shown
that there is good reason why
the red man should suspect the
government and it's employees. Col
Richard Irving Dodge, in his book on
Our Wild Indians" asserts that "all
Indians have a strong superstitious re
pugnance against being counted, and
this Of late years (since the government
has been issuing rations) is liable to
suspicion of self-interest. They entire
ly appreciate the advantage OF getting
500 rations for 500 or less mouths" In
another place he says that it is impos-
sible to get At the correct mum Der of In
dams where the government makes it
to the advantage of both the Indians
and the Indian agents to exaggerate
the mum bers. The vanity OF the In
dams used to help to deceive all who
tried to measure their numbers. I'VE
are as the leaves on the trees" they
used to be fond of saying. Now that
they have been corraled on reserva-
tions the lying is ably continued sby
those who live upon them.
Capt aims Lewis and Clarke in their
report of their heroic journey to the
Pacific coast, gave figures as to the ex-
tent Of the various tribes they saw or
heard of. They calculated that, be-
tween St. Louis and the west coast,
they met with tribes composed of so. POO
souls in all. They estimated that there
were as many Indians as that on the
further side of the Rockies, and that
there were 81. 900 IN the Oregon terri
tory of that time, which was the open
bered how small part of the United
States they became familiar with, IL
Will be seen. AT theit rate OF calcula-
ton, the whole number of red people
would have been very great CatIin,
the best-informed man in mis- time upon
this subject, rated the number OF Black
Feet at so. 600 in his day. II is said that
they did not number quarter Of that
sum, and Catlin SAYS that he got his fig
ures from an Indian agent
As Col Dodge SAYS. the estimates
upon the subject of the total mum Der
OF Indians when the first settlements
were made bv the whites range from
500. eco TO 3.0ee. 600. He takes account
of their wars. OF the great territory
each band required, and of the ''uni-
versal lack OF fecundity among their
women" and reaches the conclusion
that the Indian population OF the conn
Try never at any time much exceeded
SOC, 600 souls. Col D0dge's book was
pu blished in 1855. and he says that the
last official report Of the commissioner
81 Indian affairs, which he had before
him. credited the red race with 253- COO
souls within our borders This IS d Z
least one-dfth too great 2 figure, he
adds And ret IN 1890. after half a |
dozen years OF that ratio of decrease
which mos western men believe 70 Be
very rapid, the government returns de-
termine the Indian population 70 be
249. 27S.
The Indians. the Indian agents, The
beef contractors. and the trAi&=s