Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-10-17
The Future of the Indian.

Next week the 10Th annual Lake
Mohonk conference of the friends of
the Indian will be in session at Lake
Mohonk, New York, and it is gather
ing which merits and receives wide
public attention. The Indian problem
which has existed on this continent
since the arrival of the first settlers is
not YET finally solved. 1t is not so
acute now as it was in the time of the
colonial wars. but it is nevertheless Sc
rious enough to engage the deep study
of our public men and all who-are in
terested in educational and philan-
thropic work.
1t is a matter of history how the In
dams were gradually forced westward
by the extension of white civilization,
and how. when cur people invaded the
great West and the red men could re-
treat no further. they were finally
brought together and confined on GER
tain tracts of land known as ''reserva-
tons" with the establishment of which
the United States became responsible
for the welfare of the entire race. On
the reservation the Indian. deprived Of
his great hunting grounds, led q life OF
idleness, supported by the government,
subject to no laws save those OF his
own making. maintaining his tribal
e.. Ui
ing expression to his savage nature in
the Indian outbreaks which have made
so many terrible chapters in the his
tory of the West. The many evils of
this reservation system" soon became
apparent, and for nearly Il generation
the Indian bureau has been actively
engaged in the tremendous task, still
far from completed, of perfeoting q
policy which shall be in harmony with
modern civilization.
1t has gradually come to be recoS-
nized that tribal life on reservations is
detrimental both to the Indians and to
the country; that the tribe as Il unit
must eventually disappear; and that
its members must be saved by absorp-
ton into the government as citizens.
In his annual message President
Roosevelt showed the necessity of
treating the Indian as an individual
that confronts the Indian bureau in
pursuance of this policy is. first, 10
educate the Indian according to his
needs. second. to give him II home, and
place within his reach the means of
earning an honest living for himself
and his family; third, to make him a
citizen of the United States; and
fourth, in time, to throw him upon his
own resources subject to all the privi-
Gratifying progress has already been
made in this direction. With the
spread of education. Indian revolts arc
becoming rare and it is hoped have
ceased altoge ther: and within % years
over 10000 Indians have been given
homes ana have become self-support-
ing citizens. But the work is stu
pendous one and will require many
years for completion. Great difficulties
are yet To be overcome. and the Indian
service needs the encouragement and
support of the entire country.
The Indian bureau must from time to
time have assistance from Congress;
and Congress can only act effectively
as the representative of an Interested
public. The American people must be
made to feel that their government is
responsible for the welfare of Il quartz"
of q million Indians. more than half OF
whom are still unable TO read or speak
English ntelligently, and one-sixth Of
whom still retain their savage dress
and many of their savage customs. To