Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-24
PLANS AN INDIAN COLONY
Little Bison Would Lead Sioux to
Central America.
WOULD REGAIN VITALITY THERE
Cattle Raising and Farming Work
They're Best Fitted For
Wants Five Thousand Doll
lars TO Begin with.

NEW YORK, April 23-One Of the most
con of the League of Political Education
was Little Bison, son OF Chief Big Foot
of the Sioux Indians The second annual
function of this kind was given in honor
of Mrs. Lionel Marks miss Josephine Pea
body, on her way to Stratford to witness
the presentation of her prize poetry play,
The Piper" and at the guest table be-
side the two mentioned were Charles Ram
Kennedy and his wife Edith wynne
Mathison, Winthrop Ames, Robert Ersklne
Ely and several other notables
In the home of Miss Nathalie Curtis, who
has spent some years among the various
Indian tribes a soiourn resulting in The
Indian Book" Little Bison admits that
the short time allotted his speech hardly
gave him chance to introduce the topic
so near his heart much less explain Il
as he would like to have done. He has
already spoken Of ii and received the ap-
proval Of several Indian we'll wishers
among them F. S. Delenbaugh, librarian
of the American Geographical society; Mr..
Stedman, whose work along this line is
we'll known, and Miss Curtis, who Is an
enthusiastic supporter of the dream"
He has lectured before the public educa-
tion boards and at the synagogue of Dr.
Stephen Wise.
In his post-luncheon speech Little Bison
spoke pathetically of the fact that the
government only gave the Indians 'ra-
tions and reservations" Translated into
the vernacular It would seem that for any
body TO give anybody else board and lodg-
ing is considerable of a gift But Little
Bison does not think so and his argument
Is based on good common sense and prac-
tical experience. What he believes the In
dian wants is to live the life he was in
tended by Nature to live so far as Is
possible with the advance of civilization
and to reach the standards demanded by
that civilization by slow and painstaking
steps-not 10 be forced into an impossible
competition with a people who are gem
erations ahead Of him in every path that
can be named.
What the white man has demanded" ."
says Little Bison. lis that the Indian shall
step from his blanket and moccasns into
q dress suit and patent leather pumps and
be at home in that garb, II is impossible.
We cannot do il. and for that reason after
the young men leave school or college and
are thrown on their own resources follow
ing the protection Of a segregated life
they frequently find themselves unable to
compete in the fight where many white
men 20 under, and in spite of education
and effort. revert to the blanket life
About year ago" says Little Bison
"a luncheon was given al Sherrys in New
York City to discuss the gift offered by
MT RodmRn Wanamaker OF half a million
dollars 20 be used in the purchase and
erection OF the statue OF an Indian. this
sculptured form TO be the work OF Mr.
Frederic Remington, since deceased The
newspapers which gave the account of IN,
banquet and the laudatory speeches OF
the guests did not contain one allusion Of
suggestion that the same amount or {
hundredth part OF that amount might b,
expended Tor the benefit OF the live Indian
rather than In the perpetustion in marbl,
Of the Indian who is actually passing ava,
on account OF their neglect l do not Criti
cize the fine, hroad-minded ideas OF Mr.
Wanamaker at all but ! do say that 10
something like $500 ] could start will
hope and enthusiasm on the colonization
OF my people In some place where. will
proper conditions of climate and physca
environment, they could develop into
fine. sturdy, sclf-supporting and self re
specting race instead OF dying by hundred
OF consumption and kindred diseases, IN
result OF improper feeding OF imprope
clothing and improper dwelling houses"
LATHE Bison explains that the term I'm