Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-07-21
10. THE POOR INDIAN.

10. THE POOR INDIAN.
Somebody has proposed the erection
OF a statue of the American Indian IN
New York halbor alongside the famous
French statue OF Liberty enligftening
the world That would be a UNIQUE
modern, instance of the old practice OF
building monuments to the memory OF
martyrs. In the language of the New
E Testament: For they indeed killed
them, and ye build their sepulchers,'
we are certainly not opposed to any
proposition to pay homage to the IN
dams who have died fighting for home
and country. against impossible odds
but the best monument we can now
Z rear to that race is all earnest effort
to helm the remnant to rise In the scale
Of civilization until their descendants
become tho equals of the conquerers.
:. Some time ago there was q celebra-
ton at Blackfoot, Idaho, in honor OF
the raising of the American flag sey-
enty-hve years ago. in this region, ut
Fort Hall. Among the speakers was
~ an <AS lit SlSEpSh ouN VI
court house balcony to address the as
sembled multitude the sounds of drums
and war whoops came across the
grounds from a big tent in which In
dams were executing a. war dance for
4 the amusement of .civilized" spectators
The speaker pointed to that tent and
exclaimed: you call the Indians
5 savages. ana they are; but who has
made them sayages? You, who en-
courage them to make such exhibitions
by paying them for their savage an
i tics.'' He went on to say that the
D foreigners on American soil were re-
sponsible, largely, for the condition IN
which the savage Indians Of today are.
They have hunted them. he said, from
place to place and finally Gagged them
on the reservations as Wild beasts.
They have wronged them in every way
Imaginable This, then, is the senti-
! mont, OF the civilized Indians How
would they look upon a statue of their
race by the statue OF Liberty, if5 not
as scarlet -hued irony?
liopOsSStA
8tributor to the Denver Republican
says
put me in bronze, in your water
5ls8i way.
But how shall the sculptor pose me,
pray
Shat Skneel, while the robber white
man stands n
And orders me far from his stolen
lands
Lands that were ours, through the long,
Ere our laughter died in a flood Of
tears: 4 s. q
or shall I pose as T stand today.
On the last reservation huddled away ~
Stand. with beggar's hand outs
stretched
ForStho ration the surly agent has
fetched: Ne
Stand in the remnant OF my pride
While far away-'tis a full days ride
gray sgs
No children's voices are raised in play,
But only a squaw's voice fills the night.
Mourning for souls that have taken
flight
Is it thus | shall stand, on that granite
base.
While your vices lser from my once
strong face
Aye, put me thus in fair Liberty's
flame. iftg .sf5
And label the statue "our Nations
Shame!
This expresses the sentiments of the
Red man, when he looks upon his ex-
speriences from a mere human point of
view. There is another. But It will
take a long time before he can learn
to acknowledge fully the hand of Provi-
5dence in the dealings with the race.
1t seems SO unjust. And yet. from
the CHER view point. when everything
is fully understood, even this experience
will be seen to be a necessary prelinin-
airy to the redemption Of the race and
Its education for its final place Of prom-
inence in the human family, One Of
the ancient writer's has recorded the
prediction thata,the Indians shall be
restored to the knowledge Of their fa-
theirs: .and then shall they rejoice:
for they shall know that 1t is bless
ing unto them from the hand of God;
and their scales Of darkness shall be-
gin to fall from their eyes: and many
generations shall not pass away among
them, save they shall be a white and
3delightsome people, e Nephi 30: g.
This is their destiny. But the road to
exaltation. for nations as for inidvid-
5uals, goes over Calvary