The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-09

I sol, 900 Indians by blood. The term by
blood means persons who are Indians TO
any degree-full-blo half-bloods. quar-
ter-bloods. eighth-bloods-like myself-six-
tenth bloods, like my children-and 50
on. or the 1900 about l66, 900 are citi-
Gems Of the United States. Those who
are not citizens still maintain their trib-
al relations. have not, as yet, selected
allotments Of land or have not received
personal deeds for the land they occupy.
All must be citizenized eventually IL the
white man knows and fulfilis his duty.
and then? The disappearance, abso-
lutely of the Indian race by the process
OF assimilation. Red blood and white
blood have been mixed on this continent
for centuries. The Spanlards. white spir-
its from heaven, so the Indians thought
as they fell down and worshipped them,
began the great smalgamauon. But here
a white man wanted gold and there a
white man conhscated some other kind
Of property and the Indian was disillus-
stoned. Wars followed. The white man
was not always right: the Indian was not
always in the wrong.
After 400 years there is peace with
the white man in possession OF every
thing. Few living Indians would change
the situation. Slowly their story is ap-
preaching its conclusion. The red race
| Is to be swallowed up by the white race
The red race is to lose its identity; the
white man is to gain certain Indian
qualities. The adult Indian, on the sur
face, may not show his character. He
has been the child of misfortune and
sometimes has ceased. consciously or I'M
consciously. to act naturally. But an
Indian boy is an Indian undehled and
his qualities are visible. / have been a
teacher Of the Indian boy for fourteen
years. I know him
Describes the Real Indian.
Il say. therefore. that when the red
race runs into the white race and van
ishes forever that the latter race will
! gain in fidelity honesty. singIeness
Of purpose. industry and the power Of
observation. ! mentioned Industry That
| is the word ! wish TO emphasize. Shall
an Indian imprisoned on A sandy waste
and fed out of a public storehOuse. be
called indOlent?
The Indian is a worker, instinctively,
| the habit being formed. of course. by
necessity. He had to live and he hunted
| assiduOusly. He had to defend his prop
! erty and he fought persistently. II he
I
| cry Of his enemies So he was always
up and always doing. He suffered many
hardships. He tracked his foes day and
night No one has a right to say that
he was lazy.
White children are now being taught
quickly to see and note all things coming
within their vision. Alertness OF eye
and mind is part OF the modern scheme
of education. The Indian boy and girl
have il already. We're an Indian to come
into this Office when IL was crowded
with men OF a dozen different nationali-
ties he would see them ALL from the
hats in their hands TO the shoes on their
feet. and could afterward describe their
faces, even to the color Of their eyes and
hair. and the fashion Of their whiskers.
Moreover. he would know the number
Of books in that case against the wall
Nothing would escape his observation
Should you look at him you would think
him engaged with his own reflections and
blind to all that was happening.
Away back in the family his warning
and hunting ancestors learned 10 see
the hairs OF a bear or a deer on the
leaves of a bush in the forest: to note
whether A twig was broken by a mar
or an animal travelling east OF west
and TO read the tracks OF birds and
beasts as you and I read a newspaper.
Seeing a sign. they reasoned a subject
ing men as we'll as men OF action. The
Indian has power, mentally. He was
saEacious warrior. a general OF great