Amador ledger., 1900-04-20
A GAUNT FAMINE IN india
Reminds Us Of the Needs of
Our Natives.
THE SAD PLIGHT OF THE ARIZONA INDIANS
Friendly and Industrious Arizona In
dians Are Destitute and Starv-
ing.-Irrigation.
THE SAD PLIGHT OF THE ARIZONA INDIANS

The cry of distress has gone up from
famine stricken India and the civilized
world is about to reach forth helping
hand to relieve in part the misery
caused through lack of rainfall. Amer
lea as usual is foremost in such work,
and already many subscriptions have
been started and many contributions
received. Probably every religious
| journal in the land is receiving money
from generous Americans who have
been stirred to pity by the accounts of
the terrible wants existing in the far
eastern peninsula.
Yet, while those noble men and
women who assist the wretches of In
dia are putting hand down into a
far distant land, they might probably
with the other hand draw forth con-
tribution or exert their influence in be-
half of people In our very midst who
are reduced to want starvation, and
this, too, through the fault of the
great government of the free United
| States.
On the ella Indian Reservation, at
Sacaton, Arizona, live eight Thousand
Pimas and Papago Indians and here
they are known to have lived four
hundred years, probably, however,
owning the land farming it before the
white man set foot in America, their
annual crops of maize and vegetables
assured by the waters which they di-
verted from the Rio ella. Yet today
they stand robbed of their natural
birthright and reduced to starvation
through the rapacity of the white set
tier in draining the Gila above the Reser-
walton, and the crimality of the Amer
lean nation in neglecting to provide for
them-its wards.
Nor have these Indians been trouble
some to the government. On the con-
trary they have always been real
| friends of the whites and have render
ed invaluable service to our troops in
their campaigns against the treach-
erous Apaches. Today one thousand
of the Pimas have given up their saw
age customs and are educated mem
bers of Christian churches. BY long
residence, occupation and use they
have prior right to the water from
the Gila river wherewith they have al
ways irrigated their little farms. Does
not their case appeal strongly to every
American who is preparing to assist
the destitute of far lands? Is it not
the part of every citizen of this Repub-
| lie to use his influence in the direction
of making provision for these faithful
Indians. A demand by American citi-
zens to see simply justice done them
| would be no expression OF slickly
spinless sentiment bewailing the cruel
| treatment of the American Indians,
such as has overtaken treacherous and
numbering bands of Red men; for as
stated these natives OF the soil have al
ways been friendly to the whites, their
boast being that their hands have
never been stained with white men IS
blood.
| The destitute condition OF the Pimas
is no new story. Their poverty has
been increasing year by year and the
authorities have stood by and allowed
their irrigation water taken from
them. The Government Engineer
Corps has pointed out the solution
of the problem through the construc-
tion of a storage reservoir on the ella
which will supply water not only for
the Pimas and the Papagos, but for
thousands OF other Indians whom the
government could then move to this
reservation and commence the process
of education and agricultural civiliza-
tion.
For years Congress has been urged
to authorize the construction of this
reservoir according to the official sur
veys made, but yet no action has been
taken. Should Congress take this
question up now and act on it, the re-
lief would be Immediate. for these In
dians are industrious and could be at
once employed on the work OF con-
struction. The government of India,
during famine years, provides ''Relief
work. >" Why should not Congress in
this little instance pursue a like meth
cd?
The suffering in India touches the
generous Americans heart, the pitiful
condition of the Cuban rec0pcentrados os
set on foot measures for their immed-
late relief. Shall the condition of the
Arizona Indians, brought about
through American injustice, go un-
needed, or will statesmen in Congress
take rightful action?