Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-03

It isn't 10, the poor Indian any more.
Nor is the white mans customary mental
picture of the noble red man, wrapped in a
dirty blanket. with red earth on his jowls,
and the tail feathers of eagles stuck in his
hair, any longer correct.
Instead, it is now 10! the new Indian,
and the picture must be changed from one
of aboriginal pictureSqueaesS TO that of civ
ilized Conventionality-the descendant of a
hundred braves clothed in u frock coat and
striped trousers. high hat boiled shirt.
standing collarand cravat and patent leath-
shoes. And the bow has given way to
the steam plow, the tepee to the house, and
the war pony to the work horse.
1t is a change, according to the scientists
and others who have studied the Indians for
years that has come about, with one or
two exceptions-as. for instance, the Chero-
kees-within the last decade, or even less,
and that has been wrought almost simultan-
eously in tribes not infrequently separated
from one another by hundreds of miles.
The only explanation they can offer for
this sudden transition from a semi-barbaric
state to one of modernity-ths utter con-
founding of those who have held that no
Indian could be civilized, and that the only
good Indian is the dead Indian-is based
on logic. For over a century, say the sci
entists, the Indians of America have been
Systematically subjected by the government
to the processes of civilization. They OPP
posed it, fought it all along, and as in
sistently decreased in numerical strength
and power They We're persistent in cling
ing to tradition; but now, after all these
years. they have seemingly arrived at the
conclusion in their own way that to be
saved they. the remnants of once powerful
tribes, must conform at last to the white
mans way. 1t is simply the natural law
of self-preservatfon asserting itself.
Revolution Among the Six Nations.
Be that it may. the scientists who are
noting the change with wonder have found
no sharper contrast between two successive
generations of Indians than that displayed
by the Six Nations on their reservation in
Canada, whittier they emigrated hundred
years ago from New York state, in order to
throw in their lot with the British.
These Indians were among the first to
come within the influence of the white man,
but it is only within the last few years that
both Christians and paganS among them
have discarded the blanket and the feath-
cred head dress for trousers and felt hats.
The change has been so universal that 1t
would seem to be the result of preconcerted
action, but the Indians and the agents deny
that such is the case.
on the other hand not a few of the
braves have secretly admitted that the wo
men had great deal to do with the tribes
abandonment of the costumes of their fore
fathers.
"Our women" said one of the bucks re-
Gently, got hold of the illustrated wo-
mems papers and magazines and saw all
sorts of white womenS clothes in them.
Then they got to thinking that blankets
and an occasional calico slip We're not good
enough for them. and longsd for the dresses
they'd seen in the magazines. Well, you
know the women of the Six Nations have
always run the tribes and elected the chiefs,
and so they got sewing machines and made
themselves white women's dresses.
When they got dressed up in them they
saw that our blankets and their cloth
skirts didn't go well together. Well, the
women have always governed the Six Ma
tions, and before Icing wearing
store clothes, just like the white men,.
1t is true that the Mohawk women took
the lead in adopting modern dress, and
they have become such skilful sewers and
follow the fashions so closely that they ri
val the white women of adjacent towns in
Sartorial matters.
On the oath of last May. when the Six
Nations gathered in Brantford to celebrate
the kings birthday, the wives of the provin-
cial officials who We're present expressed
their establishment at finding hundreds of
full-blooded and half-breed Indian women
and girls parading before them in tailor-cut
coats shirt waists and cloth skirts of walk
ing length, with their hair done up in the
approved styles beneath up-to-date mill-
merry creations.
This adoption of the white mans garb, the
agents say, has made the Six Nations turn
with greater energy to the white mans
ways of living. and everywhere improve
ment has been noted in the towns and on
the farms, where barn raiSingS numer-
Gus, modern implements multiplying, and in
several cases steam plowS being used.
But while many of the white mans ways
entered into the makeup of the Six Nations
Indian when he put white mans clothing
his back, some aboriginal customs still