The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1904-08-18
MUST WORK,
WARDS OF NATION ORDERED TO
BE sRLF-sUPPoRTrNo.
Those Who Are Able 70 Earn = Liv-
ing Will Receive No More Ra-
tions-some worthless
Red Men.

ked Men.
The Sioux indian has gone to work.
He has done Il reluctantly and under
protest. He has done II contrary to
the advice OF his father and his grand
father. But back OF his father and
his grandfather - the great father at
Washington. who says that II man
will not work neither shall he eat
The rations have been cut of from
those who are able 70 work. SO the
Indian has cast aside his blanket and
with It the leisure OF more centuries
than the white man can count Ae has
accepted the new order OF things as he
accepts everything else. with philos-
ophy which looks like indifference.
THE white man offers you work
now" said old Chief Red Cloud, when
the young men came to him for coun.
sci, and they take away the rations
that we're promised under the Black
Hills treaty They Will give you work
for little while, then you must fna
It for yourselves. They will give you
nothing. They will do nothing for
you"
But the time has gone by when the
word OF the chief was final law. The
young men went TO work. On the Pine
Ridge reservation about onefourth OF
the Indians are self-supportlng They
work on the roads, grading and driv.
ing teams. for which they get sl50
a day. Several OF them have been
employed building dams and reser-
voirs over the reservation A few do
a little farming and raise cattle.
II Is difficult to make farmers OF
them while they own land from which
white man could not make a living
They have not worked long enough
yet TO demonstrate positively what
they can do. but their possibilities
seem limited Most OF them are irr-
sponsible and immature. They lack
the cleyerness Of the old Indians and
seem TO have gained nothing in it's
| place.
You have seen one generation OF
Indians grow up and take It's place in
the world" some one said TO an old
clergyman who has devoted his life 10
the Sioux. What do you think edu.
cation has done for them7"
The clergyman shook his head. II
don't know" he said. I'm some re.
spects the young men are much worse
than their fathers. They have learEed
many vices OF which the old Indians
knew nothing Perhaps In some ways
they are better. but | don't know"
The prosecuting attorney OF wyo.
ming. while at Pine Ridge last fan In.
vestigatlng the causes OF the incipient
war between the Indians and the sher-
III, made a speech 10 pupils Of the
ogallala boarding school 10 which he
made suggestion as to how the Sioux
nation might become wealthy. He
suggested that the old tendency toward
tribal relations be used 10 form a huge
corporation for raising cattle on the
Pine Ridge reservation. Most OF the
reservation land Is good for grazing.
and with the amount they have aad
shat cattle they have % begin with
they could organize a company. hire
an experienced eattleman as manager
and in ten years be independently
rich.
In the meantime. however. there Is
sarerlng among the Sioux The ra.
tions are inadequate and most OF the
Indians incompetent.
The Indian women are being encour.
aged to take up their beadwork again,
which for q long time was DISCOURAGED
Indian women teach II 70 their dangh.
ters and girls IN the boarding schools
offer It for sale No one but an Indian
women can do the genuine beadwork
which Is on buekskln. but the woven
work. which has become a fad amone
white women, Il. the traders say, ruin
Ing the sale Of the genuine article
Girls on the Pine Ridge reservation
are also being taught basketry. an arl
which the Sioux never knew. and ths
state agricultural college has beer
asked 10 furnish sweet grass seed. 4
be sown along the creeks and uset
for making baskets
Among the Indians who under IN,
new regime are trying hard 10 max,
= living is old Mra Sitting Bull. widow
Of the last Of the hostile Sioux sh,
Is peaceabie old squaw aud sits II
her little cabin out on the reservation
making gorgeous beaded moccasins
for which there Is limited sale.
When the announcement vas mad
last spring that the Indian must ri
70 work the Northwestern Rallroa.
company came forward with an ole
70 help solve the problem.
During the summer the comnan,
employed about 100 sloux from tn
Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations
They were employed as section hand
and coal Bhovelers ana maaa Al "a ,