The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18
cH1PpEWAs or TIE WOODS.
A Study OF Conditions on Typical In
dian Reservation.

| dian NeservaNon.
LEIGH LAKE RESERVATION, Sept. 49,.
Just at present the Indians hippewas-
on Bear Island are away gathering the wild
hay and rice. Minnesota's lakes are fringed
with wild rice, which attracts both the
ducks and the Chippewas at this season
The brown OF the partridge shows against
the blazing red sumach, topped by the glow
Of the high bush cranberry; but the Indians
are not worrying about cartridges now
They are out for the rice and the hay, with
their squaws TO do all the heavy work. The
tepees as a rule, are closed. Here and
there very aged squaws sit and smoke,
mumbling volubly. There are a few chill
dren left, but most Of them have gone with
their parents to the pastures new. The
Chippewa, In his native home, lie not clean
person. And his squaw-he changes her
very frequently during the year without
the ceremony Of divorce-does not trouble
herself about TIE next thing t. godliness. 1t
Ia the fashion to think that civilization has
degraded the Indian; but, after all. the In
dian Is only the natural man, and the natural
man is not pleasant object. To see the
natural man lolling In his canoe, occasionally
giving his steering paddle a touch, while
the natural woman works hard against wind
and tide, Ii not pleasant sight for those
who believe that the great panacea for all
| ills Is to get near to natures heart" In
truth. the nearer one gets to natures heart
the more grateful ono feels to natures head,
which produces the saving quality OF CIV
ilization.
The older Indians are hopelessly sodden.
Owing to their uncleanly habits tubercu-
losis prevails among them. Very little can
be done for them except to take the sick
from the tepees and force them into a
sanitarium, which ought to be built on
each reservation. One Of the few really
clean tepees exists on the shore OF Bear
Island. In 1t the smoke Of tho fire, which
possibly has an antiseptic quality had not
blaokened everything. An aged squaw,
erect, strong, pipe in mouth, said "B'jou,"
the usual greeting On the bed. which was
very clean, was young Indian woman in the
dress OF civilization. In her lap lay her work
basket, with the materials needed for bead
work. She was evidently in the last stages
Of consumption. Her fingers were busy;
she still strove to work. She had evidently
been for some time In an Indian school,
q day Of rain and chill, such as seems pos
Sioic OIiy VII LILO pOlucIb Vi tue66 STt6U
lahes. The interior Of the tepee, though
most unusually neat, was dreary place
for an invalid. The most thoughtful man
OF the party suggested a subscription and
a gift of fruit from the luncheon basket.
Between her coughs the Indian woman
thanked him in Chippewa, pointing TO her
chest. Her hopele ssness was pathetic.
In the tepees consumption seizes the
4 II ! IL =
where The young Indian is put to bed in
wet clothes; his ailments are treated among
these pagans with nominations, or, after
the method Of their cure for smallpox, the
patient Is put into a tepee In which redhot
stones are piled. On these stones water is
poured until he Is thoroughly steamed.
Then he is suddenly dipped into the ice cold
water OF the lake. Then he goes to the
happy hunting grounds. and they put
his body, incased in birch bark, under what
looks like a wooden doghouse, with hole
In the gable. In front OF this hole his mourn
ing friends deposit tobacco and few other
necessaries for his long journey-and then
the cure Is complete.
Major Scott, at the Beech Lake Indian
Reservation, is not optimistic about the
future OF the grown up Chippewa-money,
Major Scott says, Is on the reservation the
root Of all evil. Money to the Indians Of
the tepes means whiskey. Brave or squaw,
it Ia all the same; he or she Is restless and
unhappy until the money Is gone for fire.
water. The Major has fought practically
on all occasions for the good Of the wards Of
the Government; but he is no more senti-
mental about them than he is about the
saloonkeepers who serve them with intoxi-
eating drink. And the Major, whom every
Indian respects and every saloonkeeper
near the reservation fears, Is entirely frank
In the expression of his opinions. Walker
Is a town not far from the reservation. 1t
has a good hotel, but outside this hotel It Is
attractive only to the Chippewa and the
hay fever patient. There are sympathetic
folk behind bars in Walker who give the
Indians male and female, whiskey and
incidentally take their money in return.
walker" remarked Major Scott, turning
from the piano, where he had been playing
Leybach's transcription OF -Traviata the
drinking song In the first act having re-
minded him OF his wrongs-"Walker! 1
should just like to import a hundred Apaches
and let thr-a loose in Walker. They'd get |
whiskey, O course; but there would not be
enough left OF Walker to wad a gun with
The Chippewas are not violent when |
drunk, as the Apaohee are; but Bazile Thun-
der is In jail for emptying the contents OF |
his rife into his aunt, a squaw with whom
he had no quarrel. He Is a Christian Chip |
pewa, not a pagan blanketed Indian, like
Nahobid, who a few days ago killed an
other squaw simply because he was drunk.
Both these Indians are harmless enough
when sober. When drunk they do murder
without intent to kill. No wonder that
Major SCOTS hand Is against the saloon
keeper and that he believes that money
among the Chippewas Is a curse.
1t is quite evident that no effort, even Of
men so energetic and disinterested as the
best Of the Indian agents, can solve the
problem. Left in the tepees. the children
must meet the fate Of their parents and
sink into disease and degradation. In
spite OF all, the Indians are increasing in
birth rate for last year being
higher than the death rate. This is due to
the fact that fewer children die on the
that more are born. There
were always a great many born, but former
i ,oI ~