Ripley County democrat. (Doniphan, Mo.) 1905-1920, 1915-08-20
SEE INDIANS 4 !,
VANISHING RACE
Salient Facts Set Forth In Spe-
oIal Report to the
Government.
SHOW LOW RATE or GROWTH

Increase Among Mixed Hioods ls
Much Greater Than Among Full
y Dioods--60 Per Cent Now
Found In Fvc states.
Washington.--A much lower rate
Of growth for the Indian population
than for the white; an increasing ad-
mixture OF white blood; decreasing
vitality Of full-blood Indians. indicat-
ing q tendency to disappear altogeth-
or; Increasing attendance at school
and decreasing illiteracy; an increase
In the percentage Of the selfsupport-
ing; q decrease In the number Of res
ervation Indians These are some OF
salient facts set forth In the special
report on the Indian population OF the
United States and Alaska. issued by
Director Samuel L. Rogers OF the bu-
reau OF the census, department OF
commerce. and compiled under the di.
rection OF Mr., William G. Hunt chief
statistician for population, This re-
port brings together oil the principal
statistics relating to the Indian popu'
iation which were collected at the
last census.
The Indian population Of the United
States, exclusive OF Alaska and the
insular possessions, in 1910, was 1885,,
683, representing an Increase OF 17s
430, or seven per cent, over the
number reported in 1890, when the
census bureau made its first enumera-
ton Of Indians. Thus at the last CEN
sus the only Americans whose ances
try extends further back than CEN
tury or two-or three at the utmost
constituted less than three-tenths Of /
per cent Of the entire population OF
country.
elxty Per Cent In Five States.
OF the total Indian population. "a.
s2S, or 2S per cent, were found in one
state, Oklahoma: i60,107. or 90 per
cent. IN. ave states, Oklahoma, Ari-
zona, New Mexico, South Dakota, and
California; and 255.46S. or 90 per
cent, In 20 states, Eve of which--Wis-
consin. North Carolina, Michigan. New
York and Mississippi--lle east Of the
Mississippi river. In density OF In.
dian population. Oklahoma again led.
with 108 Indians per 100 square miles.
while Arizona and South Dakota. with
28 and 25 per 100 square miles, re
spectively, held second and third
places. The proportion which Indians
formed Of the total population was,
however. greatest in Arizona. where
is was 14.3 per cent.
There are $50 Indian tribes, com
! prising 50 linguistic stocks. The most
important tribes numerically are the
Cherokee, with 81.4S9 members In
1910; the Navajo, with 22,455; the
Chippewa. with 2o.214; the Choctaw.
with 1917. and the Teton Sioux. with
l4,2s4. These Ave tribes were the
only ones represented by more than
10000 members each; a tribes had
more than 1000 members each
| sex and Marital Condition.
The ratio OF males to females In the
Indian population was 1895 to 100
Q somewhat lower ratio than the cor
responding one for the whites. 1905
to 100.
Il OF the so,Ss3 male Indians fifteen
years OF age and over in the United
States'in 1910, STA per cent were mar
ried and "a per cent we're widowed OF
, divorced.
i A compared with whites and ne
groes In the United States, Indians
; marry somewhat earlier in life. This
, tendency toward early marriage IL due
, In part at least, to the fact that the
male reservation Indian is frequently
! % assured Of q livelihood at the age oi
6 fifteen 10 he is later In life.
The practice OF polygamy still en-
lists, though to comparatively slight
extent, among American Indians. Ac
1 cording TO the enumeration Of 1917
, there were 4g4 Indian males living n
polygamy, and In 81 cases moro thar
? two wives were reported. OF these 20
o iygamous males, 927 were Navajos.
Il Proportion Of Mixed siccds.
III OF the total Indian population d
the United States In 1910. 160.0bs, O
. SIS per cent. we're reported 40 full
bloods. and a3.423. or 35.2 per cent, a
mixed bioods. For the remainder nj
! Information on this point was given
2 but II Ii probable that the majorit'
;, were OF mixed blood. OF the mixe'
bloods. ss.03o. or over % per cent
!, represented mixture Of whits AM
y Indian blood. The largest proportio
,r of full bioods was found IN New Mel
: leo. where It was % per cent of the 4
tai population. Other states In whicl
q the nrnnnrtion were high we're Utah
1 n