The Coconino sun., 1915-11-19
INDIAN AUTHORITIES
CONDEMN BAD PICTURES

oupt' Jltu ID. biOWii, VI tilc AipNieeii
Industrial school at Phoenix, has sent
out an IS. o. S." call against the post
cards showing nude Indians and has
asked post card dealers to discontinue
the sale of them in the interest of
morality. His letter was addressed
to the dealers of Phoenix, but should
include all post card dealers in the
Southwest. His letter, which received
immediate favorable response from
Phoenix dealers, applies to all dealers.
In calling attention to the matter,
Supt. Brown in his letter says:
Gentlemen:
Complaint has been made to the In
dian Office at Washington through un-
official channels that immodest and in
decent postcards of Indian girls and
women are publicly offered for sale at
many of the drug stores of the south
wset Personal investigation of the
charge has proved it true insofar as
Phoenix is concerned and l wish to
earnestly protest against a. continu-
ance of the practice, having in mind
only the degrading influences of such
a practice on the growing youth of
both the white and the Indian races.
The citizens of the United States
through their government are en-
deavoring and for many years past
have endeavored to educate the Indian
youth in the essentials of our civiliza-
ton, thereby enabling them to take
their places as useful citizens of our
great republic, whose members today
represent nearly every branch of the
human family. We have endeavored
to teach them to recognize the stand
ard by which the majority of us are
governed in our civil and moral life, a
standard founded on the basic prin-
ciple that all members Of the human
race have an inalienable right to "a
place in the sun" and are justly en-
titled to recognition and respect when
by their daily life and conduct they
demonstrate their fitness for it.
believe / am right in saying that
our Indian girls are as modestly-if
not as modishly-dressed as the girls
of our own race and that the display
of partially nude Indian girls and wo-
men is an injustice to the hundreds of
self-respecting and self-supporting In
dians Of the southwest; were similar
views of young white girls to be dis
played on every street corner, as are
these Indian views, public sentiment
would demand their withdrawal.
also believe that you will agree
with me that it is our duty as citizens
to see that our boys and girls are con-
fronted on every hand with objects
which cannot help but have demoral-
izing influence on their minds and
thoughts. To this end I am writing
you to request that you withdraw
these Objectionable cards from sale
and that you use your influence to see
that they are withdrawn from sale
elsewhere. Similar requests are being
made to every dealer in Phoenix hav-
ing these pictures on sale and ! am
sure | can depend on your co-opera-
ton. / shall be glad to hear from you
relative to the matter and to receive
any suggestions you may wish to
make as to the best method of secur-
ing the withdrawal Of these pictures
from sale in the southwest.
Sincerely yours,
JN0 B. BROWN.
Superintendent
There is no question but what deal
ers all over the state will readily com
ply with the request. Many such cards
come in assorted shipments and it has
probably never occurred to them that
there was any such bad influence as
pointed out by the superintendent,
who is in a position to realize and see
the results.