The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-06
UR past treatment of our Indian

Tx past treatment or our lndlan
| wards has been humane, but sad
q ~ lacking in Intelligence and ef
ficiency. Hardly any condition
could have been better calculated to pro-
| mote barbarism and pauperism than the
| system of segregation, first adopted as
| n police measure, and continued from
| misguided motives OF paternalism. That
| they have not been utterly ruined by 1t
! speaks loudly for the Inherent sturdiness
of charactersin the North American In
dian.
| Under the old policy. the Indian was a
social and economic anomaly. He was
| encouraged to disregard the very first law
| OF nature-that OF providing the means
of subsistence for himself and his off
| spring. His life was regulated and cir
cumscribed to the last detail. When from
| sheer revulsion OF spirit he occasionally
| went on n rampage we stlg1natized him
| as "bloodthirsty savage" and shudder-
| ingly hurried out our troops to herd him
back to his confines Like our incurables
and hopelessly insane, we deemed him u
| useless encumbrancc. and while We faith
cred him tenderly, fervently prayed that
we might be speedily rid OF him.
Time and n more intelligent study of
this pitifu remnant of tho former lords
of the land have brought about better
understanding of them and wiser atti-
tude toward them. We have come 10
know that the Indian is naturally of
peaceful disposition, that his forbear-
ance under provocation is remarkable.
that he has many Inherent cllaracteris-
tics which might excite tho envy of the
proudest people. and that In his general
make-up are the qualities that go to the
composition of an admirable citizen If
they be but given fitting scope and proper
direction.
nynh1af1 yyh oil ON
grandfathers has evolved itself into a
ecr'r''rati"ely simple and definite prop
osition with encouraging features In the
or sent and hopeful outlook for the flu
ture. The task of civilizing these chill
drcn of Nature Is no easy one. We have
to contend with the Indians unconquer-
able dislike to the white man, his tenn
peramental aversion to novelty, and other
traits that conflict with the character of
the Caucasian. These are too strong, TO
be overcome in the adults past middle age,
and little more than tolerance OF our eff
forts may be expected of the men and
women in the earlier stages of manhood.
1t is from the more plastic material Of
fered by the children that our government
hopes to mold the Indian of the future.
Our national family embraces something
moro than 2S0G0 Indians. These are domi-
cled in reservations scattered all over
the country lost of the Mississippi
There are few in the lake region and
one little settlement in North Carolinn.
Contrary to general belief, the Indians are
holding their own in numbers, and per-
haps increasing slightly. The present en-
lightened policy of the government Is
designed to set the Indian upon his feet.
to sever tho communal ties that bind him
to his tribe and to abolish his position
as a dependent upon tho government.
Carefully, tenderly. we have led him
along the entering paths OF civilization,
and now, while still watching over him
and directing his course, We are practic-
ing him to walk alone. The contraction
OF the ration policy and the expansion of
the labor policy are teaching our charges
the value of individual effort, and the
oponinE of the reservations to white set
tiers is instlling se,s-icpeadauca and
emulation.
we have during the past twenty years
been individuall2ing the Indian as the
owner OF rcnl estate by breaking up the
reservations which preserved tho old cont
munal customs and habits and estapllsa-
ing each Indian az an independent land
holder. This movement has extended rap
idly In recent years and will soon en-
brace the last OF the old-time reservations.
We are giving the Indian the white mans
chance and asking him to assume the
white mans responsibilities
We are placing upon him the obligations
of citizenship and looking to him to help
build up the frontier community IN which
his interests lie. And he Is responding as
n man of his strong fibre might be en-
pected to respond to any demand upon his
lmanliness.
we are getting good results as we learn
to appreciate the individuality OF IN
Indian and, apply to his treatment YARD
stick cut TO the measure OF that lndivid-.
ual!ty, which is as pronounced as that
OF any race on earth
IN the past the government has been
constantly exercised to find the Indian
something to do, with the sole thought of
keeping. him out of mischief, Our present
policy is TO direct his energies into useful
and profitable channels and to encourage
him to independent labor, rs against tho
old communal work with its lick of psr- |