The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-12-27
srEANoE
Way Of the iowss aud Sac and FoScs
Sever Adapt Way - whites

Way Of the fowas aud sac and Foscs-
Sever Adapt Way - whites
Uptoa short tune ago the few peo-
pie in Oklahoma knew there was o
Sac and Fox Indian tribe In Iowa. A
week or two ago the newspapers con
tained dispatches of various lengths
from Tama. Ia. describing n state Of
unrest closely bordering insurrection I
among the Sac and Foxes on account
OF an Indian girl who had been con
aued In government school against
the protests Of her family Reports /
from the agent Ia charge OF the tribe
indicate that these stories, II not made
actually out OF whole cloth, were At
least 40 garbled and exaggerated as 90
make u hard 20 sift the facts from the
great mass OF fiction which surround.
ed them. Thus much may bo said,
however. that any threat on the part
OF the Indians OF assAulting the whites
or making war upon the government
had no better origin than The imagin
alton OF some romantic reporter The
Sac aud Foxes Of Iowa are a. peaceful
today as they ever were, ana their
record for friendly relations with the
whites Ia unsuiitd. The question
which arose over the Indian school
girl is In the courts on IT, way 10 a
perfectly pacific and satisfactory solu-
tion.
Meanwhile, the news that a body Of
Indians, large enough 20 be formid
able, was settled in the peaceful farm.
ing state OF Iowa came with almost a
Il a.. Nt...N -
Newspaper readers iu the east. The
history a the Iowa Sac and Foxes II
perhaps unique In the annals Of the
400 years struggle between the white
and the red men la this country. The
Sac and Foxes went west with the
other Indians In the early DAYS. The
bulk Of them settled la the
Indian territory. and Others In
Kansas, but la the year 1852 u letter
was received Ia Washington from
Lieutenant Armistead 40 ~ Dodge
Ks saying that a party Of Sacs aud
Foxes. numbering about 100. had re-
turned from Kansas 20 Iowa in the
midst OF winter and la so destitute a
condition as 90 win the sympathy Of
the white settlers. They expressed a
wish 20 remain In Iowa and buy lit.
tie land for themselves, saying that
the reserve set apart for them farther
west was unsnited 20 their needs and
as the settlers were willing 90 have
them stay, the government gave its
prrmifs on. In 1886 the legislature OF
Iowa, on petition Of the iahabitauts,
enacted law permitting these Indians
aud no othvrs 20 remain in the state.
They had brought with them $500
saved out OF their annnities aud eight
horses and with these they purchased
tract OF farming land which was
turned over 20 the governor of the
state 20 hold as trustee for them.
la 1867 the band had increased 80 as
10 number edi Of whom si were men
and a. boys Since then they have
kept up pretty well Ia their ratio OF
Increase with their white neigh bors
They have been thrifty enough, also,
20 lay aside more moner aut add Co
their reserve until they now have
nearly 1000 acres OF land on the Iowa
river bottom about two aud one half
miles from Tama and back about Eve
miles from Toledo, the county seat
The line which Is drawn around the
reservation Is nothing more. In ma
terial sense. than one Of the fences
common In all the farming country
near TAmA. yet Ia a moral sense ID rs
WA0NN MN0NNI AMRaHNAAAN AAaA hMN AMA
nese wall m she days when "a was
built 20 repel invasion. ON one side Of
the road which skirts II are the houses
OF intelligent white farmers, observing
All the amenities OF Caucasian ciy.liz.
alton On the other side, Teeping up
here aud there through the brush are
the cabins OF the red mea elapboarded
in The ordinary way as far a. the bot
toms of the gables, aud above that al
led ia with old mating aud bark and
odd bits Of wood OF various sizes The
indian houses are ever without win.
tows except foT movable clApboard Va
each. rudey. hinged 50 a. 20 be- lifted
fr the admission of light and air
This o3ntrae. "a nos merely typical o.
tie two civillz 4tious broughs elbow TO
elbow, hnt on tsg part ~ The Indians
rAs = deliperate and significant pro.
t's'. ~ tbe most vigorous sore ~ pea.
ceah'r tfioe u capsule ~ maNing
agA'nst white mems ways. associated
'neir minta WIN white nen's llces
When W. came 40 hnlldinf thelr honse.
fho antipethy 81 tkeee lnd.nna fo'
srffFt ~ ~ ch hintcd AZ maklns