Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-27
PIMA INDIANS NEEDS
Hoped for Irrigation That
Would Be Beneficial.
NO WATER FOR LANDS
UNABLE 10 GROW CROPS FOB
THEIR sUsTENANCE.
Story Of the Tribe and the Alleged
Diversion Of the Water
supply.

Supply.
ignated as a fact that during the past fif-
teen years the Pima Indians Of Arizona,
nation of Industrious. self-supporting. pro-
gressive people, have degenerated into race
Of idle. vicious. ration-fed pomads. because
Congress has failed to heed their request
for help and give back the water which
the white man was permitted to steal from
them. For centuries tribe of Indians has
lived and titled the soil In Pinal county. in
southern Arizona. There, In the valley OF
the ella. following in the footsteps of their
forefathers. whose crops were harvested
generations before a white man set foot on
this continent, the Pima Indians have bat
tied with the desert.
First knowledge of these aborigines comes
from a mention of them by Cabez de vaca,
an adventurous Spanish explorer. who Wis.,
tied them in 1886. and who found them
much as they were until a few years ago.
They had always been Industrious and sue
cessful farmers and irrigators. Their aver
age crop was 100000 pounds of wheat
year. besides which corn, pumpkins, beans,
sorghum and vegetables were raised in
large quantities. They manufactured OIL
las, or earthen jars and baskets, and their
blankets and cotton fabrics have always
been of fine quality Their lands were held
IN severalty. and the tribe lived in small
villages. Their only enemies have been the
Apaches, whose hands have often been
against every other tribe and nation. TIVE
friendship of the Pimas for the white man
has been unwavering. 1t Is their proud
boast that their hands were never stained
by the white mans blood. Their villages
have always furnished Ravens of safety for
various members of other tribes in times
OF famine and warfare.
The Water Supply.
Inseperably linked with the land of thesa
wards Of Uncle Sara Is the supply of water.
Their agriculture depends wholly upon irri-
cation. Without 1t their lands become a
desert; with an ample water supply no moro
fertile region lies out of DOORS
The ella valley is Of great extent, and of
, Ia, years has been gradually settled upon
towns have sprung up, and throughout its
entire length the signs of agricultural
CROWN ana progress are apparent. Fiji
teen years ago at Florence. a few miles
above the eastern limit Of the lands belong
Ing to the Indians. a dam was constructed.
and the waters Of the ella river were d.
verted to irrigate the farms Of the white
men In that community. This was done II
is said. in the face of protests Of the In
dian agents, and in spite Of the fact that
1t was claimed to be evident that such d.
version OF the water supply would render
the Indians helpless and destitute As con-
Structed. 1t Is claimed this dam deprived the
Indians of water during the period when 1t
was most needed to mature their crops and
since. its construction. it is claimed, there
mas been progressive decrease OF water
supply for the reservation The condition
OF. the Indians is said to have become pitt
ful. For number of years they ploWed.
spWed and irrigated only to lose all through
"a inadeauate water supply when the crops
most needed it,. Discouragements finally
brought INSTRUMENTATION. and they gradu-
ally gave up the struggle and. with a few
executions, 1t IS said. 1apsed into Incidence,
want and vice. Today they are said to be
more or less dependent charity or have
become wanderers over the country, thieves
and vagabonds. A description of their nres.
ent condition Is given in report which the
Indian agent submitted from Sacaton, as
follows:
Report of Indian Agent.
Approximately 5000 Indians-Pimas, Pa
pages and Maricopas-are dependent for
their subsistence upon the lands of the ella
river reservation, which reservation con-
tains 1851 ,120 acres. 1t is estimated that half
OF the land could be made productive with
water to irrigate it, The water supply in
the ella river, owing to its use for lands
ab boy us. has not been sufficient to irrigate
have not produced enough for seed This
land is very fertile. The condition of af-
fairs here shows that in the past three
years there has been a large falling Off in
the water supply for irrigation. The rea-
son is apparent in the absorption of the
water by additional cultivated lands above
Il notice in the Indians restlessness as
they realize their helpless condition and I
am confronted with the solicitous queries:
What are we to do? If we plant what we
have what assurance have We of getting
It back? Under favorable conditions these
Indians. being agricultural and pastoral
would soon become independent prosperous
civilized citizens. Otherwise discourage
ment, hunger and restitution are their lot
tribal nature asserts itself. and the expendi-
lures hitherto made by the government for
their education provea curse to them rather
than blessing.
Must Issue Subsistence.
1T is now necessary to issue considerable
subsistence to the Indians whose crops
have been a failure, and this aid will have
to be largely increased under the existing
limited water supply. A supply of water
would permit of the Pima Boarding School
establishing a model farm, greatly reduce
ing the cost of maintaining the school Of
200 pupils, and be a most valuable educa-
tional factor in the school life of the pupils
The available Indian labor in the construc-
ton of the reservoir is an important fac
tor, as 1t Is much better to provide them
labor with pay than keep them as paupers.
These Indians are willing to work, and
their moral status is good. Their attitude
toward the United States has always been
friendly. They have saved the govern
ment In protecting early settlers from the
ravages of the Apaches They have kept
themselves within the bounds of law and
order, and they are now left upon the
desert without water. Humanity speaks.
economical administration for the susie
nance of the Indians speaks. and nature, in
her wise provisions. says: Let mans
means and intelligence be made operative,
that these Indians, whose claims are meri-
torious. be reinstated In self-sustenance,
and lifted to the plane Of prosperous Ameri-
can citizens
Remedy for Evil.
I'm order to remedy the evil which now
exists, the United States geological survey,
in cooperation with the Indian bureau, has
made an exhaustive investigation of the