The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-09-25
NORTH AMERICANS BEDOUINs.
Navajo Indians are Only Tribe to I'M
idOve With Civilization.

ChV VI thc cdiiy dCtS Ol the HTSt
Legislature OF the new State of New
Mexico was the adoption of memorial
to Congress asking that individual
land allotments be made TO the Ma
vajo Indians and that the portion Of
their reservation left be thrown open
to settlement. lnasmuch as there are
still between 40.000.OOO and $4,000
900 acres of unoccupied lands In New
Mexico, In addition to millions of
acres of school lands and railroad
lands. the reason for the urgency of
the demand that the Indians lands
be taken from them is not apparent,
says John Nj. Gowan. in the Philadel-
phia Record.
The Navajo reservation Is the larg-
est in the United States, comprising
an area Of 7.6S0.000 acres of land in
northwestern New Mexoco and north
eastern Arizona. Much of it Is desert,
the annual rainfall in many places
averaging less than 10 inches, and
nowhere being more than Is inches.
Until recently the entire reservation
has been considered worthless save
for sheep grazing. and of little value
for that.
However. part Of the reservation is
covered with great pine forests, which
the enhancing prices of timber lands
renders very valuable. Recent inves-
legations of the Geological Survey
have revealed the fact that large
part Of the lands are underlain by
some of the greatest coal deposits of
the southwest. Petroleum in COM
mercially important quantities was
recently discovered near Gallup, and
the same geological formation Is
known to underline much Of the
reservation. Rumors OF extensive
deposits Of copper, silver. iron and
other metaliferous ores are circulat-
ed and believed. Then there are
number OF fertile vallt1s on the res
ervation. with an abundance Of wa
ter available for irrigation, and 1t is
believed that certain sections are we'll
adapted to dry farming.
The Navajo reservation was estab-
lished in 1867. but has since been very
greatly enlarged. 1t Is estimated that
at that time the tribe ala not number
more than $4,000. At present it Is be-
iieved that they number at least 2S,-
600. this being one Of the few tribes
to successfully Withstand the contact
with civilization.
From 1850 until 1864 the Navajos
were constantly on the warpath. In
1921 their country passed nominally
from the jurisdiction of Spain to that
OF the newly established Mexican re-
public; and in 1876. by the fortunes
OF war. IL became a possession of the
United States. These changes were
matters of indifference, to the Nava-
JOS, who pillaged Pueblo Indians,
Mexicans and American settlers with
entire impartality.
During the period from 1S49 to
1867 the United States expended more
than $3,000.000 annually in warfare
with the Navajos. Generals Candy.
Garland. Sumner and others in turn
marched bravely forth to subjugate
the NavajOs. and then marched de-
jectly back again.
In 1868 an expedition was organiz-
ed under Col. Kit Carson. He knew
the Navajo country as no other white
military commander knew II. and,
what was OF equal Importance, he
knew the Navajos and their ways OF
lighting. The leaders of the tribe
were captured. and the warriors sur
rendered. In 1863 and 1854 they were
taken to Fort Sumter. New Mexico.
where they were held until 1867.
They were then permitted to return
To their old home. where they have
remained ever since. They never
again went on the warpath.
For four years after the return Of
the Navajos from Fort Sumter the
government distributed rations among
them, and also gave them large
number Of sheep. goats and horses.
Then In 1894, their cops failed and
large numbers OF their live stock
died as the result of unprecedented
drought. and the distribution of ra-
uons again became necessary. With
these exceptions. the Navajos have al
ways been self-supporting.
The Navajos are polygamists, two
wives being the common allotment,
although some have been known to
have IL. The mother-in- law joke of