The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1914-10-30

the country; we must stir up right
eous indignation and we must make
the first move to abolish the Indian
Bureau from the face of the earth;
not until then shall we be perfectly
free.
Third. After doing this with our
support, we must fight out our saliva
ton: "Sink or SWIM
Ia a book called Success among
Nations" it says: Zach square foot
Of European soil has cost thousands,
not to say hundred Of thousands OF
European lives" There is nothing
gained on this earth without fight,
without a struggle, without our per-
sonal effort. The Government has
tried to carry our people on ffowery
beds Of ease by gradual process into
civilization constructive basis It you
please. It has been q total failure
because it lacked that dicipline for the
Indians that all men must go through
from their births to their graves. The
indian Bureau has come to be mon.
ster Of enormous proportion.
We Indians expected q change in
this administration radical change
for the better, but a change without
changing is not changing at all. Al
lowing the same men that controlled
Indian Machine in former administra-
lions to continue in their respective
places in only another way of saying
that the Democrats will follow the
path Of their predecessors. All they
viii do is to oil the same old Indian
Machine, screw this q little tighter
so that it won't rattle so much and
adjust it here and there and let it go
at that. The rest of the time we will
move around, make believe we are
doing something. Individually we car
not as q tribe nor a whole tribe go to
Washington in behalf Of their affairs
but we can chip in our mite towards
employing an attorney or a represen-
tative to take our place. This settling
up with the Government Of our af
fairs is a legal proposition. 1t be
hooves every Indian tribe to employ
legal talent to adjust their affairs It
is not fair for the Government to sell
Get our attorney any more than it is
for. us to select their attorney for
them. We are two interested parties.
It is not right for the one interested
sarty to select an attorney for the
other The time has come that we In
dams are ready to battle our own
way in the world. Justice from the
world can be no worse than the Res
ervation System.
Several years ago after q social
entertainment of well-to-do men at
my house they approached me and
asked if they could do anything for
me. ] looked at them and thanked
them and said: eyes, 7 want you to
leave me alone to fight out my own
salvation" That ought to be the SEN
tinent Of every Indian in the country.
Fourth. After starvation,5 rubbing
up against the world and il we sur
vive our reward will be independence.
Once upon a time our ancestors were
supremely independent. All they sur
veyed was theirs. There was none to
dispute their claim. It was an ideal in
dependence and worthy of imitation,
but time has changed and conditions
have charged with it. Somehow and for
no other reason but that our people
were called Indians were they en-
shaved to separate existence and gov
ernde under different rules from the
general government Of the country.
Its AN appalling thing to think of
such things and it does not look right
and just. AS their childrens' children
we ought TO be ashamed of ourselves
that we tolerate this national abuse
any longer without our resentment,
without ytring to redeem our people.
For a great extent it is our fault
because we have taken no interest, no
thought and no consideration to
change and to look around to be really
free. We Indians must let loose from
these things that causes us to be sep
arate from the laws and rules that
other races enjoy. It is phantom to
think that we are free when we are
Reservation Indians and governed by
the Indian Bureau.
We must be independent. When with
my people for vacation in Arizone
must live outdoors; / must sleep on
5he ground; must cook in The fire on
the ground; must sit on the ground;
| must eat natures food and | must
be satisfied with inconviences that
do not enjoy at my Chicago home.
Yet those blood relations Of mine
are independent, happy, because they
were born and brought up in that
environment, while as a greenhorrf
ind myself Independent and helpless
to enjoy such simple life. In order
Coz us Indians to be independent in
! the whill of this other life, we must
| get into it and get used to it and
live. UP. to its requirements and take
our chances with the rest OF our fell
low creatures. Beng Gagged up and
| not permitted to develop our faculi-
ties has made Us q dependent race
/ and looked upon as hopeless to save
/ sud to do crythino, for lIs Tho onIvy