The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-07-22
TELLING THE TRUTH
ABOUT The INDIAN
Emerson Hough Describes
Great Movement to Force
the Red Man West.

Dra a vivid. powerful picture OF
the American Indian during the pass
century and branding our treatment ol
him as a national shame, emerson
Hough in Masaarn 70
April, describes the great movement "
force the red men west of the Mlsslss-
inpi and Missouri and into
In this first attempt ever maze by d
popular magazine to tell the truth
about the Indian, the writer says W.
did not want the country beyond 'ae
Missouri eighty or ninety years ago, So
we told the Indian he could have II
forever To make 1t plain to him we
said that these lands should belong 10
him $50 long as the grass shall gro"
and so long as water shall run. me
Indian believed that, but we never
meant 1t. In our subconsciousness we
Intended to Jake these lands when we
needed them, but there had not yet
come enough stress for land to give
us reason for formulating u covert
thought.
In order to get In hand the savage
hunters of the northwest, Indian com,
missioner Clark called a great couhcll
of the tribes at Prairie du Chen, at
Just about the time the Marquis de La
fayette was visiting America. There
were some three thousand Indians at
the council. They were there because
of their inability to understand the
idea Of putting a limit to a mans
ownership in the surface Of the earth.
The idea of a farm to them was as
foreign as the idea of HEAVIER Is to US.
Up to this time the tribesmen had
roamed as they liked. Their horizon had
no limits. The Indian of old wore no
hat. Clark told them they must now
wear hats. so that they could not see
beyond the edge Of their own lands. he
understood one trait Of the Indian ma
ture which few of us today appreciate:
The Indian was a child, and a child
who had always had his own way. He
was the original socialist and single
taxer. Indeed in his creed of life. no
man could own the soil. Two or three
tribes might use the same hunting
1T, although all might fight for 1T.
When It. came to a question Of boun-
diaries, no Indian could understand
what a white man meant. A the
world is ours!" proudly said the savage
chief.
1t was a large task. that Of the Red
Headed Chief, to show him that hence
forth each mar must have only a
small part of that land for his own;
or else, with his tribe, occupy only a
certain district from which none might
roam. But Clark told the Indians at
Prairie du Chen that after this each
tribe must agree to limits for its hunt
tIl6S SlOullub. II SIooA SkOE
at such and such a river, the Ojibways
thus and so, the Iowas thus, the Sac
and Foxes this. Or else, said William
Clark, they must consent to nov west
of the Missouri, to a vast beautiful
land offered them by the Great Father
where the white man would never
come" The ancient system of tribal
government was not yet assailed. They
were only asked to move from theil
Did homes.
Like children, mournfully and pitt.
fully logical, the red chiefs rose and
spoke in the council of Prairie dl
Chen. One after another said: :"
leave the land of my fathers. 1 leav,
the raves Of my people. I go to thi.
land where the white a will nevel
come"
At ST. Louis still later council wa,
held, and we gave the Indians abou
$40, 600 worth of useless presents, pres
ents such as children or imbecile'
might value, and explained to then
that, since King George was gon for
ever, we would now take care of then
aud would regard them forever as gu
children. The Indians swore to RENAL
true to this government and to n,
other. They have kept their oath.