New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-03

of the Indian Iandgrabbers. and the need -
| steps which are being taken for the pros.-s-
/ OF the Indians by the association, this c,v. +
cited: s
full-blOOd ChOctaw. having inherite1 =,
allotments made to his late wife and three ~
dfen' found himself in possession OF nine -
dred acres Of land He was approachaS =
grafters to lease his lands. which he agras5 4
DO, as he needed medical attention and Sum-.
once once IN the hands Of these sharks their pIs~
were easily carried out. The ChOctaw signal -
deeds, believing them to be leases. as thew -
represented To be. the consideration na1rss n
the deed for the nine hundred acres being s1 -
Inc indian grantor did not know he was =
titled even to that sum, as he was told tSa+ n
would be cared for from the rentals Uuo- 4
Vest1gation, the voucher rendered by this cots-
OF thieves in accounting for the purrbavS'- -.
named IN the deed. disclosed these items;
Attorney Zee for services rendered and to be r
Medical services reriered and to be performs; So
Urarco1nted for ''''''-..-..... b
Personal note Of CRATER.
G5
The borrower OF the $3.50 is alleged To Ia
ecution proof, so that all the benefit derives IL
the Indian grantOr is the services OF attornav :
AID the grafters and slight medical attsnt,,-
WIN promise Of more to be performed =,
lahds aye estimated to be worth $50 an acr. -
ing $1,000 for the whole tract. This GO. a.
St. s'ood' IS 70 be taken up BY the TTri,.s
eISI, courts with the intention OF secrrIr, b
PossIoIe lhe cancellation OF the frsrd,,Iert - !
before the case was brought to Dub1T. ottoV41.-
a. llIgiit De supposed. the major portion - -
ldI-uS had passed into the hands of alleged ~,
1,s,IaI 5aTes no VIII. no doubt. make IA,
without notice PAieiiase Tor valls
,,, WIN reference to the division OF the ,.sI,,,,
bv supnIe7,e ~ ne CRlppewa tribe Of Minnesoh
SCIeS each and the subsequent pr0faS+ Sos7s. -y
-UloCieI indians, many Of whom found .S.s
tirb - Grawn aiIotnents practically devoid n
I'"S'' WINE others had aScertafned the I7esTts--
anu description of the allOtme1ts nv "orT,Is,-s
- personal inspection OF the tracts. the rsna3s
go t.Is quotation from letter addressed ~ ~
''s'S ol me Interior on the subject:
If the experience Of the. Government IN d.,,.
ms WIN our Indian tribes has brought out 0-s
t.dIl more prominently than Others n ~ 49,
tne ruIl-blood Indian is slow 10 take sdva,ta~,
OK opportunities open 10 him. in comparfsoT wiz
lHe shrewder mixed-bIoOd. Herein lies the 5nfv
OF Jhe CTOVernment-tO protect the Indian 5,1ri1-
. SLle tIIle our system OF civilization is being
Forced upon him. Should not the guardian nave
Deen Sufnciently lenient under the circumstanc.s
stated TO grant the request Of these fYIl bi,oS,
Tor three or four days additional trina v-it55o
which they might gather their Scattered r1s7-
Ders from distant points to meet in council for
the purpose OF voting upon the alIotv1s-- csc 49,
ton?
Indians 10 make themselves self supporting and
TO cultivate industry are sometimes sadly ham
pered by the red tape and quibblings over de-
tails incident 10 official routine. For instance
in New Mexico the Navatos are Obliged Ike
all others raising sheep there. to conform To Iha
statute requiring the dipping OF the animals as
a guard aSainst disease. The report says:
The Indian Once directed IT'S superintendent
within the Navajo reservation 10 loan five pans
Ia these Indians for the purpose named After
qCibhlng over details. the superintendent mads
the loan Of one small pan The dipping cannot
he done during cold weather. hence 1t IS esti-
mated that with this one pan. it Will require
until july, 1907, TO dip The several thousand
been immersed before cold weather the present
fall
Some idea Of what the Navajos do with thsis
sheep toward their seIf-support is CLEANED from
the statement that the clip OF wool from one
small district last yea- amounted 70 between
1900 and $1,000 pounds. The women Of the
tribe are the weavers Of the celebrated Navajo
blankets. and. In fact. they seem from all re-
ports to he the mainstays of the Navajo fami-
lies They usually own the sheep and build the
houses and they also make their own choice OF
husband II a husband proves To be shiftless
the thrifty Navajo s4u6w promptly turns him
out OF doors and runs the farm and tends the
sheep herself.
ne lack or water - pointed % as SoMethlua
70 which the government may we'll turn its at
tentiOn, and the suggestion is made that wind
mills might be erected in places suitable FOR
II is urged that this would be feas-
ible. for, while there is scarcity of rivulets
and streams, water is to be found at depth
Of about I'VE feet below the surface.
DIR. Charles F. MeseTVe. in a brief statement
OF his observations among the Seger colony md
ianS IN oklahoma. furnishes additional test-
mOny concerning the extent to which the Ind
ianS are becoming dOmesticated Not only arr
they giving UP their old nOmadic life and set
Ting down on their little holdings. but they
are becoming so awakened 20 the necessity Of
protecting their rights that they see 1t IS nee
eSSary for some one always 70 remain at home
for the protection Of their property. Or. Meservs
also calls attention to the fact that there Is q
growing rivalry among the Indians themselves
In the matter of crop raising They understand
now that weeds are not corn. and each is taking
a just pride in his Own work. This Or. Meserve
attributes partly 20 the efforts of John r. Seger
10 help the Indians Of the Seger colony. ard
partly to the examples set them by their thrifty
white neighbOTS-