Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-08-15

made therefor when the surplus land
OF the remainder of the Kiowa, Com
anche, and Apache reservation shall be
purchased by Congress, and when no
longer used for the above purpose said
/ land shall revert to the .Kiowa. Conn
anche, and Apache Indians, unless it
shall have been purchased outright in
the meantime by the United States
The council proceedings show that
Capt Frank d. Baldwin, Fifth Infan-
try, acting agent of the Kiowas and
Comanches, stated to them that The
only reason the Government wants this
addition is to provide home for these
Apache Indians, & place for them to
live In 1901 an additional grant of
1,200 acres was made by these same
tribes for the use and benefit of the
Apache prisoners of war Similar ex-
pressons might be quoted from mill
tary orders documents of the Depart
ment of the Interior, and even acts of
Congress, all OF which prove conclu-
s;Vely that the only thought on the
part of the Government, the prisoner
Apaehes and the Kiowas and Com
anches was that the land donated. as
we'll as the original Fort Sill Reserva-
tion should provide permanent homes
for the captive band. Even the veriest
tyro in Indian matters would hardly
venture the assertion that the Kiowas
and MomancheS made a free gift to- the
United states Government of approxi-
mately $4,000 acres of land for the en- :
largement of military post.
For z time things went well. A Gov
eminent appropriation of sS2.5o0 was
| wisely expended in settling the MEM
bers of the band in their new homes,
and they went to work with a will. The
strong hand Of the military afforded an
excellort regime for people just off
| the warpath, especially for a people of
Apache stock, for the Apaches have al
ways been resolute, combative, and
turbulent on the other hand they
proved energetic workers, and soon be-
gan to acquire a communal herd OF
cattle, work their individual fields and
make substantial progress. mission
| of the Reformed Church cared for their
religious instruction and provided edu-
cation for the younger children. The
older ones have been sent to the vari-
Gus Government schools where they
have acquitted themse we'll Had
| Col Seotts original plans betn carried
| out. these Indians would, as rapidly as
| feasible, have been given separate hold
| ings have been steadily individualiZed.
have become self-supporting, and have
finally been set free. Unfortunately.
this wise programme was departed
| from, and the grip of military authori-
| ty frightened rather than relaxed, with
| the result that the communal rather
| than the Individual welfare was devel-
oped, this resulting in Turn in loss of
| initiative, lack of interest, and growing
discortent, especially on the part of the
rapidly increasing educated element.
| Those who understand the Indian
know only too well that discourage
rylent and discomfort unnerve him for
| action, and lay him open TO the onset
| Of his besetting sins. When he gets a
| bad heart" according to his own YER
nacular, the whole world goes bad for
| him. This has happened at Fort Sill.
These prisoners of war seeing no way
| out" as they express It, and chatting
under captivity, have lost zest even in
| their own affairs, and have become an
| easy prey to drunkenness, gambling.
| and immortality. The fact that in 1901
| the surrounding Kiowa-Comanche Res
| ervation was allotted and opened up TO
white settlers has greatly complicated
Their situation and multiplied their
| foundations A well-quallied and
Trustworthy committee of investiga-
ton. appointed from their own number,
reported as ..using liquor to excess, 30
men and 2S women: and as gamblers,
| 20 men and AS women-surely high
percentage in band Of 240 men, wo-
men and children When asked How
many couples are legally married"' the
committee replied, six couples AS
an offset against such personal and tri-
bal Generalization as this it is futile,
if not base. to balance up communal
herd of 1000 cattle and tribal assets
| amounting to 100000. These things.
however good in themselves, are hardly
compensation for the degradation OF
the manhood and womanhood OF the
owners.
But, you say, it is incredible that
l these people are still held as prisoners
4 of war, 1t seems incredible, bur it is
certainly 50. For twenty-six years they
have been held in captivity. The COM
mittee OF investigation referred to
above. after stating that there are one
hundred and twelve children whose
parents have never fought against the