The Washington times., 1911-07-28
INDIANS FORM AN
ASSOCIATION FOR
UPL|FT Of PEOPLE
Send Council Call to All
Tribes to Prepare for
Self-Advancement.

council call mas gone forth to the
Red Men, Americans first citizens
From the halls of Congress, from
business and professional walks OF
life, and from the prarie farms In
dians will gather in peaceful council
to plan battle for self improvement
and independence. For the first time
sincs the Indians became Govern.
ment wards they will gather to plan
concertedly for their own advance
ment None of the scattered tribes
and no member of a tribe has been
slighted in this call to conference.
The invitation sent to the Indians
individually, bears the name of the
American Indian Association, an or
ganisation. temporarily formed, that
will be brought to full activity at the
meeting and conference at the Ohio
State University. in Columbus, Ohio,
October IL to 10.
Chief and brave will gather, as In
the days of old. but they will come
with high standing and record of
great achievements in the professions,
in the trades, in industry, and in ag-
riculture.
The meeting will demonstrate, in
the words of those who are furthering
1t, that within the last generation,
In spite Of governmental neglect mis-
management and iniustices, the days
or feathers and war-paint and saVag-
cry have long since passed and an
era OF progress has been well begun
that will soon give to the Indian the
wight to demand place and stand
Ing OF full citizenship in this land of
his fathers"
Congressman Join Appeal.
An executive committee of twenty
members all of whom, save one, are Of
Indian blood. issues the call for the
gathering of the tribes. Senator Robert
L. Owen and Representative Charles D.
Carter Of Oklahoma and Representative
Charles R Curtis of Kansas, them
selves Of Indian parentage, join in the
appeal to the Red Man to assert him
self
Charles E. Dagenett, born in the
Peoria tribe and now United States su-
pervisor of Indian employment, is chair
man of the committee and Miss Laura
NJ. Cornelius, daughter of the Oneida
tribe, is secretary.
Charles A. Eastman, a Sioux, of Am
herst, Mass, connected with the faculty
OF Amherst College, as lecturer and
only just out of Government commits
sion to rename his brother Indians, is
ective in furthering the American In
dian Association. Others of the COM
mittee are: Mrs. Marie L. Baldwin, an
Indian in blood and now of the Indian
Bureau in Washington;S ;SDr. Carlos Mon
tesuma, an Apache, practicing medicine
In Chicago; Attorney Charles L. Sloan,
an Omaha. of Pender, Neb.; Henry L
Standing Bear, a Sioux. prominent in
the affairs of LaCreek, s. D. Each of
the remaining members Of the commit |
tee stands equally successful and hon. |
oTed In life, with those mentioned here. |
Originator Not Indian.
The idea Of rallying the Indians to
help themselves was conceived by the |
only man not of Indian blood who is
actively pressing the plans Prof F. A !
Mckenzie, associate professor Of eco
nomics and sociology in the Ohio State
University, launched the idea among
the prominent Indians who have formed
the temporary organization and who |
will lay their plans before the assem-
bled tribes In October.
Prof. Mckenzie, who is now in Wash !
ington compiling the Indian census for
the Government, says Of the organiza-
ton:
The time has come, we believe. when
the Indians as a race are ready and |
anxious to work out their own uplift. !
The purpose of this organization is TO |
aid in crystalliZing this spirit and to |
direct it into channels that will make |
II most efficacious in attaining its OBJ |
Ject.
The American Indian Association is
an organization of the Indians by the !
Indians and for the Indians With the
temporary organization made perma- |
nent, none but persons Of Indian blood |
will have voice in the affairs of the
association"
The convention will meet in Columbus
on invitation of the city as voiced by
the mayor, president of the State Uni
versity, chamber of commerce, Minis
terial Association, and other organiza-
tions. 1t was extended last April when
the plan for forming the association
was first formulated by six prominent
Indians on the temporary executive
committee Of the association.
DR.. Eastman and DR.. Montezuma, and
the Rev Samuel Coolidge, by a series
Of addresses, so stirred the Ohio city
that its mayor and leading citizens
urged that the proposed convention be
brought to Columbus.
Tentative Program Ready.
The tentative program that has been
drawn carries the announcement that
Dr. Eastman will present an address.
1.-THE North American INDIAN" that he
has taken to London to deliver before
the conference of all nations, that is ,
now being held. DR.. Eastman and Miss
Cornelius. the latter Of Seymour. Mis-,
are sent by the United States Govern
ment as the accredited representatives
Of the North American Indians In the
conference.
The industrial, educational, legal. and
political problems of the Indians will be
presented in papers and generally dis
cussed by the Indians themselves during
i've of the sessions of the convention.
The closing session will be addressed by
of prominence.
The full program of this notable con-
vention will be announced later in the
summer.
This gathering of the tribes of the
red men 10 take council on the war
fare Of peace and self-conquest will be
unaccompanied by the rattle of tom-tom
and the frenzy of the war dances of the
old-time martial pow-Wows. But the
eminent Indians who will lead in the de-
liberations say that never did their
take the warpath against
the white men or hostile tribes with
more determination to win lands and
peoples than possesses their sons to win
frst rank and all rights in citizenship.