Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-09-07
The PASSING of the Tribes.


missioner of Indian affairs, that within
30 years il will be difficult if not inn
possible to find an Indian tribe in the
country living in tribal relations.
Everybody knows that the day of the
befeatherod, blanketcd. mocassined red
man is passing and Commissioners
Leupp declares that it will pass sooner
than it is. generally realized. The In
dian problem would appear to be near
its settlement and will soon be listed
with the questions of the past. FIFTY
years from now, ii another James FEN
more Cooper arises, he will have little
but his imagination to draw upon, UNI
less he goes North into Canada or jour-
neys South into Mexico.
OF course, the Indian blood will re
main and will be traceable for many
generations to come, and for a long
time TO come there will be Indians of
mixed and unmiXcd blood scattered
among the whites. But these Indians
will earn their living as other folks or
will be exterminatcd, the hunting
ground will be bur a tradition. and the
weapons of the chase will be supplant-
eG by the tools and appliances of civiii-
cation.
The United States Government is
going ahead on definite lines in its
| management of the Indian problem
| 1t is deliberately setting out to clinii-
| ment is proceeding on the theory that
the Indian is Il desirable person when
he gives up his tribal relations. pro-
ceeds To live as the whites do, earning
his own livelihood. and not being Il
ward II the nation-in other words,
when he ceases to be an Indian ami
blends with American citizenship.
Persons of sentiment and thos.. with
veneration for the traditions of the pas:
will probably cry out whcn they under
stand just what the government is un
dertaking to do about the Indian
! dian should be preserved in his ab"re-
lnal character, as a relic of the past.
just as they insist on the preservation
OF whatever has hustoric value. But
the government finds this troublesome
ana expensive, and entertains much
doubt whether it is; a Kindness to the
raj a an nf
The Indian is proceeding as steadily
and ruthIcsslv as the wipins out ,f
any conquered people of history ever
proceeded To be sure, it is not being
done by cruelty. Probably any othc:
course would mean that the Indian
would ultimately become extinct
Commissioner Leupp explained the
other DAY to Boston Transcript cor
respondent just what the government
is doing with the Indian. He said
frankly it was the purpose to break up
the Indian tribes. to get them to minglc
with the whites, and the whites with
them, and in the end to merge the In
given Il quarter of century to The
study OF The Indian problem. He is Il
Trusted friend of the Indian, ana be-
lever in Kim. and he believes that the
best Kindness the government can show
:" The rcdnan is to help take up the
white mans burden, and cease To be I,
nomad.
There are two lines on which Mr.
Lcupp and his aides are working The
first object is to break up the reScrva-
tons and to get white men to settle on
theso reservations and mingle with the
Indians. The other object is to cncour-
age the Indian to leave the reservation
and to go out and work by the day or
week or month. as the white man does,
taking his chances with the white man.
arc the same. They educate the Indian
in the ways of the white man. Mr..
Leupp says it is an education by alb
sorpton. The Indian has brains, but
he is uitra-cOnSerVatlVe. Go TO the
Indian and tell him he is to be taught
something. and he will tell Won he
doesn't want to learn it. But if the
Indian is set down in the midst of con-
ditions where he can learn by observa-
ticn and absorption he is apt to learn
readily enough. This is the experience
Of the Indian Affairs officials
The Indian reservations are being
broken up by the government steadily
and opened to settlement. Lands are
being allotted to individual Indians
and tribal relations discontinued. 1t
will take about a quarter century
| longer to complete this work. In the
meantime, a great deal is being ac-
complished for the Indian by setting
! him to work. Little has been done in
| this way with the Indians in the North
west, because sales Of land have put
many of them in position wherein