The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-11

~ pTApo'ue1i sup PueS lioM IAe CiedSufy,
not been wholly ruined. But tho not
ruined, he says, they have suffered
serious deterioration, and the chief
problem now before us is to prevent its
going any further. To that end he says
we must reckon with several facts.
First, nothing can be done with the
Indian who has passed middle life. He
is likely to remain an Indian Of the old
school to the last. With the younger
adults we may hope to do something
is not too conservative; but our main
hope lies with the youthful generation,
who are still measurably plastic.
ID Win Over the Children.
The task we must set ourselves is to
win over the Indian children by sympa-
thetic interest and unobtrusive- guild
ance, the commissioner says. sit is
a great mistake to start the little ones
on the path to civilization by swapping
all the ties of affection between them
to de9spise the aged and progressive
members Of their families. The sensi-
bic as well as the humane plan is to
nourish their love of father and mother
and home. Again, in dealing with
these boys and girls it is Of the utmost
Importance not only that we start then
right, but that our efforts be directed
to educating rather than merely in
structing them. The foundation Of
everything must be the development Of
character: Learning is secondary
consideration. "
31Of the 10000 or 100000 Indian
children Of school age in the United
States, probably at least three-fourths
will settle down in that part Of the
west which we still style the frontier.
For Manual Training. .
q ttfNow, if anybody can show me what
| advantage will come to these children,
most Of whom will draw living from
the soil, from being able to reel off
tho mountains in a Asia o. Pc extracting the
deeply grateful. To my notion, the
Indian boy is better equipped for his
life struggle on frontier ranch when
he can read the simple English Of the
local newspaper, nanswrite short let
ter which Ii Ineligible, tho maybe
ill-spelled, and knows enough Of fig
ures to discover whether the store
keeper is cheating him.. Beyond these
4 scholastic acquirements his time could
be put to it's best use by learning how
to repair a broken harness, how to
| SVT61Rut0u b 6pI uuR G1lC vi LID WdSou-
wheel, how to fasten a loose horseshoe
without breaking the hoof. and how. to
do the hundred bits Of handy tinkering
which are so necessary to the farmer
who lives thirty miles from the town.
The girl who has learned only the rudi-
4 ments Of reading, writing and cipher
ing, but knows also how to make and
mend her clothing, to wash and iron
and to cook her husbands dinner, will
be worth vastly more as mistress OF
log cabin than one who has given
years Of study to-. the ornamental
branches alone.
Sever Tribal Ties.
4; moreover, as fast as an Indian Of
j either mixed or full blood is capable OF
! taking care Of himself, 1t is our duty tc
set him upon his feet and sever for
ever the ties which bind him either tc
his tribe, in the communal sense, or te
4 the government. This principle must
become operative both as to land ano
money. We must end the un-America1
absurdity Of keeping one class OF .ou'
4 people in the condition Of SO many un
4 divided portions Of a common lump
Each Indian must be recognized as az
individual, and SO treated, just as eacf
white man is. At first, Of course, thu
government must keep It's protecting
hand on every Indians property afte1
J it has been assigned to him by boob
and deed; then, as one or another show
/ himself capable Of passing out iron
| fully free and given the white man /
chance, with the white man. g obliga
tions to balance it,.
Factor in Communities.
tFinally. we must strive in ever,
way possible to make the Indian Al
: active factor in the upbuilding Of tn
E community in which he is going to live
To this end / would, for instance, teacl
: him to transact all his financial bushes
: that he can in his nearest market towr
), instead Of looking to the United State
= treasury; as the only source OF mater1a
9 blessing. Any money Of his which h
cannot use, or is not using for his ow
current profit, I should prefer to deposi
for him, In reasonably small parcels, i
local banks which will bond themselve
sufficiently for its safekeeping, so tina
a the industries Of the neighborhood sha
y have the use of it, and everybody there
/. | about will be the better off for sue
! prosperity as may come to an India
depositor.
i Gradual Readjustment.
d HThe process Of general .readius
ment must be gradual, but it shout
< be carried forward as fast as it can /
y with presumptive security for the i
d dian s little possessions, and I .shoul
! !. not let its educational value be oil
scured for moment. The leadin
strings which have tied the Indian
IF the treasury ever since he began to oW
F anything Of value has been curse
a him. They have kept him an econom
4. nursing long past the time when
at ought to- be able to take few stel
alone.
Some one has styled this a polio
Of shrinkage, because every Indie
whose name has been stricken from
tribal roll by virtue of his emancip
70 ton reduces the dimensions OF our re
Tns n. race problem by a fraction-ye!
T. small, it may be, but not negliigibl
ct II we can thus gradually watch o.
=: body Of dependent Indians shrink, evt
OF % by one member at time, we may co
(. graduate ourselves that the final sol
y tion is indeed only a question OF fe
years.
Mr.. Leupp then goes on to elabora
a. the points discussed in brief in t
:. foregoing, stating that he would n
neglect to develop talent among youl