The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-06-05
INDIAN Tribe pEcIMArLoN.


federal Indian agent who recently visited Mexico
investigate some land titles of the once numerous and
powerful Kckapoo tribe found that the It's Indians who
twenty-five years ago took up reservation lands in Mexico
had increased on January l. 1893 to 868 persons When
this Mexican reservation was opened 400 of the Kckapoos
were removed from Mexico to the United States OF
latter there now remain but persons Instead of
increasing numbers as the case even under the ad
conditions encountered in Mexico Indian
contact with American civilization falls
into tribal decay and either pehes or becomes absorbed
the Of the white population by which he sur
rounded OF 297sO5 Indians resident in the United
States according reports to the commissioner Of Indian
affairs s5679 nearly onethrd wear civilized attire
and live substantially Ike their white brethren More
than onehaK of these civilized Indians can read and
write and further education only carries them farther
from tribal traditions and regulations
How far the defamation aboriginal races noted
in the Of the Kickapoos progressed in other
quarters could scarcely be ascertaned with any fair de-
gree Of The official returns show that 1892
Indians reservations schools supported by the
government The sefsupporting Indians whose affairs
controlled by the Indian Office number 662S9 An
other classification includes 32567 Indians who pay taxes
support themselves and mnge freely with the mass of
the people There 5000 Pueblo Indians in New
Mexico 5000 in New York belong the Six Nations
and there about 5000 Cherokees in North Carolina
The tribes that have maintained reservations in the older
states have escaped the hardshps existence in
signs of dminution, but practically stationary
But the reservations Of west the Indian generally
has at best only fighting chance life oppor-
tuny whatever expansion according to the normal
rate Of increase in population.
The government maintains an enormously costly
official establishment in take care Of the wards
of the nation Indian reservatons-probaby more
than 10000 persons all told To most of the trbesmen
there have been allotted lands in seyeray and they de-
pend largely living upon the cultivation of the
soil Indian agents furnish rations only onehird Of
the population, under instructions from Washington and
when drought supervenes irrigation systems break
down. sesupport the reservation becomes impossible
The victims of fate leave in order to live
Hence doubt the slow process absorption into the
general community which is gradually reducing the abog
inal element Of the republics population quantity
negligible by everybody except the officials who have the
spending of annually increasing Indian appropriation
As in other branches Of governmental control the lack
of immediate objects upon which to lavish public expendi
for Indian support only serves to inspire the ingenuity
and stimulate the greed Of those the handling
and disbursement of the generous provided from
10 for the Indian budget The tribes may ds
OF, fail and starvation wither ranks of those
who tied down TO the reservations but federal appro-
priaons for the red be based notion
that the fewer the Indians the larger sum required for
them from the public treasury The Indian appropriation
for 1900 in numbers S7500O00 For the cur
rent government year it is SS10oo0o and for the
month beginning July next nearly So 600 The pub
lie money spent for Indian sustenance and schooling in
creases par the number Indians diminshes
Despite this public hberat the reservation Indians are
nearly always the shary ragged edge of restitution
and advance toward their territory the sweeping
Of white settlement signal for further depletion
Of their number The fever for material advancement
and discovery which inspired many new discoveries
Of valuable minerals petroleum. asphalt hard woods
in the districts years is as fatal to the
aboriginal would be epidemic OF smallpox or unnl-
tied access TO the white mans irewater.