The Washington times., 1901-11-03
THE INDIAN In OFFICE.
Red Men Who Have Successfully ly
Filled Positions of Importance.

Many HaIf-BIoods Now Employed by
the GOycrnment-Thc Original
Commissioner Mohcgan-Chero-
KEGS the Most Advanced Tribe.
An examination of the records of the
Indian Office shows that red men have
filled official positions of Importance
with signal ability Indeed. the man
who first performed duties correspond
ing to those of the Indian Commission
er of today was a full-blooded Mohe-
gan named Sampson Ocean He was
born in 1923 and died in 1892, and was
ordained a minister of the Gospel in
1859. While he never held an official
position in the strict sense of the term,
he had extensive charge of Indian mis-
sions in colonial times, thus occupying
a position measurably corresponding to
that of Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
He was well educated, author of vari-
Gus writings, and was well received on
the occasion of a visit he paid to Eng
land.
Perhaps the most conspicuous figure
among North American Indians who
have held official positions was Tecum-
sch or Tecumtha. He was born in 1'6S
and killed at the battle of the Thames
in 1913. He held position under the
British crown of brigadier general in
command of British-Indian force of
two thousand, and was a full blooded
Shawnee.
The Cherokee chief Stand Waite, born
1915, died 1877 had a slight strain of
white blood. He was a colonel, and
afterwards brigadier general in the
Confederate Army, commanding an In
dian brigade of two regiments and
three batteries. The Cherokees are said
to rank the highest today of the In
dian tribes in the United States. They
We're originally one of the Five Nations
of the Atlantic Coast, and had made
considerable advancement in civiliza-
ton. Their native language is similar
to the Iroquois. Though retarded in
progress by their transfer, with other
Indians of the Five Nations, to desc
late country, new and strange to them.
beyond the Mississippi, they have ad-
vanced more rapidly than any other
tribe in this country. Sequel, also call
ed George Guess, full-blooded Chero-
kee, invented for his people an alpha
bet, simple put complete, in 1924. With
n printed language this tribe has de-
veloped a literature peculiarly its own.
Most of the Cherokees have received
an English education, the wealth
ier members of the tribe sending their
children to the best Eastern schools.
Their graceful native orators have been
heard on the floors of Congress, and
newspapers edited by full-blooded In
dians are printed in English and Chero-
kee.
General Grants secretary and officer
of-staff during the civil war, Gen. Ely
S. Parker, was a Seneca Indian Though
not of pure blood, born In 1928, and
educated as a civil engineer. After the
war he was made Assistant Adjutant
General, and was promoted, through
various grades, to brigadier general of
the United States Army. He was Com
missioner of Indian Affairs, 1S69-1S71.
A present employe of the United
States Indian Office is Francis La
Flesche, three-quarter- blood Omaha.
Representative Curtis of Kansas is said
to be one-quarter- blood kaw. Mr.. j.
n. B. Hewitt, Of the Bureau of Eth
nology, is about one-eighth TusCarora;
while DR.. Eastman, agency physician
at Pine Ridge, S. Dak., is a three-quar-
ter-blood Sioux or Dakota. II is the
policy of the Indian Office to employ
Indians on the agencies and reserVa-
tions as far as possible. AS a conse-
quence, on every agency or reservation,
there are q number Of Indians employ
&c by the Government as teamsters as
si5tant farmers, blacksmiths. and in
various similar capacities. In a few
cases there are Indians employed as
clerks. or in subordinate positions in
the schools.
Mexico furnishes the NEST conspicu-
Gus examples of Indians who have ris-
en- to high official position. President
Eidalgo, for whom one Of the leading
States of Mexico is named, and who
is alluded to as the George Washing
ton Of Mexico" was said to be an In
diar Of full blood, or nearly so. Presi-
dent Juarez, the Abraham Lincoln Of
Mexico" was generally supposed to be
a full blooded Indian, and he is spc-
ken of as such in Mexico. 1t is said,
however, that there is in him slight
strain of white blood.
President DiaZ, the present President
of Mexico, and one Of the leading fig
ures in the history of the Republic. is
commonly supposed TO be nearly full
blooded Indian. Recent search of the
records in his case. however. has re-
vealed the fact that he is fifteen thirty
seconds. or only half Indian. He is
called the Maker of Modern Mexico" 3"
LIFE-SAVERS SEE HUMoR.