The Irish standard., 1905-01-28
DEFENSE OF RACE
An Indian Compares Americans
With "Poor Lo."
Seeing Ourselves as an Average
Pueblo Sees Us.

conclusions as to the contents of this
letter; but will say that it certainly
is, in it's crude simplicity and hammer
ing logic, a very curious if not i'm
portant document
The Indians are Indians, and will
be Indians until they have all disap-
peared from the valley of tears. Such
is my opinion, and will not change it
before the wise Americans who have
become Indians themselves. Then
only will l say that the Indians may
some day turn Americans. For the
present, patience. and we shall see
SO much has been said about us In
dams, of whom l am one myself, that
the persons who have never seen them
will believe them to be brutes of the
worst stamp. ready to eat up any one
that comes their way But. friends,
let me tell you: you Americans are
good deal more anxious to see us than
we are to see you.
All kinds of reports have been sent
about us by I'LL kinds of people, men.
women, rich, poor men of honor, and
mere trampS. wise men and ignorant
Even our "'Tatn Grande.' the Indian
Commissioner in Washington ID. c.,
has said very much now and then in
his reports, especially in his last one
to the Secretary of the Interior
Things with which | do not agree,
and, to be clearer. they are not the
truth, as far as the Pueblo Indians of
New Mexico are concerned
Perhaps our "Tata Grandc" does
not mean to include all the Indians
without exception, when he speaks
of our customs and crceds. of our
dances and the obligation of our young
men to take part in them under IL pen
atty. But as | said above. the In
dams are Indians. and ms the 'ratn
Gran,le" does not admit of any eyccp-
ton, when he speaks of the Indians,
conclude that hr speaks of us Pueblo
Indians in the siem light as he does
of the balance of the redskins.
Yes, gentlemen. there are differences
among Indians. one tribe to another
as there are differences among the
white men from one nation to another.
You wise Americans have seen all
kinds Of lndilns. MS have sccn all
kinds Of white mn.
| said there were differences among
the Indians. Yes. there are. Right
here in New Mexico we have the Pu-
rblo lndiHnS.' the NivHuS the X,lnis,
the M"schlcroS, etc. They are I'LL In
dianS, hut each tribe is entirely differ
ent from the other. They have differ
rnt tongues. different ways of living.
different beliefs. customs habits. and
entertainments.
Even among these there are differ
cnccs in many things. Ii there was
none the writer would not brlon" to
their tribe. For thirty years he has
lived among them. has seen all their
entertainments. has played with Them
eaten with them, danced with Them
fought with them. discussed with
them been present ut all their difficult
ties. and also at all their frnstS
Ms to our way of living" we have
houses. not ut nll built to compete with
the houses of thhc Americans. but con-
vcnient. nice AMI cool in summer and
warm in winter. They are not twenty
stories high. nor are they lighted by
twelve windows for each room; they
are only one story high. with ONLY one
or two windows in each room.
DO we work? Certainly. and more
than amy other people in the United
States. the Americans not excepted
You will meet Il thousand American
Migrants before you meet Il single In
dian tramp.
We work when necessary: we help
one another in case Of need: but we do
not work in winter time. Why? Come
to our countries during the winter,
and ynu will find ont why we do not
till our lands when the weather is cold.
Our fields. | mean our lands under
cultivation. are such that we cannot
cultivate them amy better except at
the expense of large sums of money,
which we cannot afford to do.
When we get through with our year
ly task. we start on hunting expcdi-
tons in the plains and in the hills. SO
as to make provisions of meat for the
coming spring. during which time we
are busy with our sowing But now
we will have to steal, since the wise
Americans have made laws. prohibit
ing hunting. having come to the con-
clusion that it is better for the Indian
to go hungry or to steal: since the In
dian must eat, let him hunt or kill
what God has created for everyone,
YOU and me. The wise Americans
have destroyed thousand times more
game than the Indians have, and if it
was not for the Americans North
4 America would be we'll stocked with
game today. And now the best they
could do, after killing all the animals
the could see. was to pass laws max
ing hunting unlawful.
Religion? Yes we have a religion
but we don't make use of it to hurt
anyOnes Ours is the Roman Catholic