Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-03-04

gone. The government surveyed a
ditch last fall On the Navajo reserva.
ton and the Indians hoped to get work
on it, but so far nothing has been
done. Their condition is a menace
to all those living near them. for while
they are ~peaceably inclined. even an
Indian does not like To starve and
freeze with food and clothing in sight.
The Apaches on the reservation near
Fort Apache. Arizona, are also in a
critical condition. They draw no ra.
tons from the government: neither do
the Navajos. The Apaches have very
little stock and their income is deriv.
ed from the hay and grain they sell
at the military post on the reservation.
the proceeds of which are merely
| enough to keep them alive. 1t has
| been reported that for the coming year
the Indians will not get the contract
for furnishing hay and grain as in for
mer years. II these reports are true
there is no telling what the results
will he. The grass which they furnish
the forts for hay is much cheaper and
better than alfalfa. which will un-
doubtedly be contracted for.
The majority of these Indians are
inclined to work when it is to their ad-
vantage to do so, but when conditions
are against them as they are and have
been for years past, it is most dis
heartening. 1t seems strange when
the people, who have had charge of
and have taken care of the Indians for
so long a time, have received such
small practical results to show for
their labor.
There are many Indians today. which
these Investigations have found. who
are without food and have little pros
poets of getting any.
The Indians on all the reservations
are adverse to the ration system and
want to earl money so that they will
be able to support themselves. Game
is diminishing very rapidly in the In.
dian lands, in fact there is hardly any
game that they can hunt and live upon
as is their custom. In winter they are
able to get a few deer, but only a few
at that.
At present there are about 5000 In
dams on the Apache reservation and
10000 on the Navajo. all of whom are
in anything but a prosperous condition
and need the protection of the gov
eminent. While so many large dona-
tions are being made to the starving
people of Sweden and other foeign
countries, it would be well for the
American people and the government
to begin their work of relieving the
sufferings of the starving at home.
The Apache reservation is unfit for
stock raising and there is little of it
attempted. What attempts have been
made of recent years has resulted dis
astrously. 1t is stated on good author
ity that there are numerous natural
our on the reservation at which
the Indians could be employed and
make a good living. if the government
saw fit to develop these resources and
upon up employment to the unemploy-
ed and unfortunate Indians.
Many are compelled to live on the
natural foods as they did before the
invasion of the white man, but it must
be borne in mind that these natural
foods are not as plentiful as they We're
in the olden times. Since then they
have come in contact with the whites,
conditions have changed and the In
dams have been educated to drop their
aboriginal customs and live as the
white men do. This they have tried to
do and would have succeeded admira-
bly, had not adverse circumstances
blocked their progress.
What is more lamentable is that
many of the children are dying from
lack of proper nourishment and the
old men and squaws, who lived when
the southwest was all theirs, are dying
from want of proper protection.
The real misery and distress can
only be learned by visiting the reser-
yation and investigating, which has
been done by many interested in the
welfare of the Indian.