The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-10-15
TRUE TO TRADITION.
<fcknpoO Indians Refuse to icld to
influence of Civilization and
Hold AIoOf.

The Kickapoo Indians. who have
been living about $50 miles west of
Galveston in Nacimiento. state of
Coahuila. for over so years. are prepar-
ing to move away, reports the Calves
ton News of recent date. Adjacent
lands have been taken up as pastures
and posted, thus restricting their ter
ritory until they can no longer main
tain themselves by hunting. as has
ever been their custom. They are now
negotiating for the purchase of 100000
acres of land in the desert country
west of Preside del Norte There the
hunting is good but the country is not
adapted to either stock raising or
farming, and poor Lo will be permit
ted yet awhile to live the only life pos
sible to him.
Indians. or at any rate the Kicka-
poos, do not seem to thrive under civ
iliZed conditions. About 80 years ago
the United States sent a commission
TO Nacimiento to induce the greater
part of the Kickapoos, Az in number,
10 return 10 the Indian territory
There they were given every advan-
tage-cultivable lands. stock. nipple
ments, houses and annuities-yet at
the census taken last year the 412 had
dwindled to 1874. On the other hand,
175 Kicllapoos had remained in Ma
cimiento. These. living precariously
by the chase. had according to a re-
cent census. increased to ATS, notwith-
standing an epidemic of smallpox had
in the meantime more than decimated
them. Between Indians civilized and
Indians wild on the plains there is
Just the difference between birds pam
pered in a cage and birds hustling
freely for living in the brush. Allot-
ment in severalty of lands to these
people, with its attendant restrictions
and obligations. means in time exter-
mination.
No Kickapoo has ever Christianized
yet they have deep religious feeling Fri
day "A Kickapoos were given a dinner
at the Windsor in Galveston by Indian
Agent NJ. J. Bentley. Green corn. of
which they are very fond. was served
the Indians. but not one of them would
touch it. Mr.. Bentley said it was be
cause they had not yet given thanks to
the corn god. This they do annually on
stated day. and until they have thus
thanked the god they will not partake of
the bounty.
Speaking of their religion Mr. Bentley
said that they believed that the after life
was ruled over by two spirits. the good
and the bad, that the Indian who in this
life was brave. skillful and honest
would. after death. be taken in charge
by the good spirit. who would bestow
upon him all the beatitudes that an In
dian imagination can picture. But the
spirit of him who was mean. cowardly
and untruthful would go to the domain
OF the evil one, his arrow would ever
miss its mark. hunger and thirst would
pursue him. and the joys Of sQuaw and
pappoose would be denied to his tepee.
The Kickapoos are pure race. never
having interbred with white or black
This. again. is due to their religion. To
explain their notion on the subject Mr.
Bently related the reply OF Kickapoo
woman to a proposal of marriage from
4 white man. She told the paleface that
ne was fair to look upon and agreeable
10 her desires. but that his god was not
her god. and that their offspring would
be neither Indian nor paleface. and,
therefore. a spiritual orphan to be de-
MED in the unending life to come the
protection of the good spirit. Love him
as she might, she loved yet her race
more and refused his offer