Evening star., 1915-01-16
OUR INDIAN WARDS
!I.-Their Industrial
Condition.
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

By Frederic J. Haskin.
Since the future development of the
Indian race depends largely upon in
dustrial conditions, Commissioner Cato
sells Is giving personal attention to
every matter bearing even remotely
upon this question. One of the great
drawbacks to the progress of the edu-
Gated Indian in the past has been that
upon leaving school and returning
to his own tribal home he was too
often confronted with the dllnculty.
sometimes the impossibility, of earn
ing sufficient money to continue the
mode of life he had been accustomed
10 IN his school. The occasional drop
ping back of educated Indians into the
sni!tiess living conditions of savagery,
winch at times has been exploited as
an argument against Indian educati on,
mas Deen due in almost every case to
the lack of remunerative industry In
his locality. Many educated India ms
take up their residence in white COM
mun1ties after graduating and in al
most every instance establish them
selves Independently. A large number
1amlly ties and are loyal enough to
return to their own people
The indian bureau is now acting upon
Two ideas in its work for the Indians
One is to encourage those Indians who
prefer to take up their lives as regular
citizens of the United States, with the
white people The other is that the
loyalty of those who desire to return
10 their own people is a praseworthy
trait 1t should be fostered by the de-
Nelopment of industries which will
enable returned Indian to earn a
competence upon his own land Cat
tie raising is such an industry and
the large grazing lands of the Indians
make it especially desirable
One of the first official acts of Com
missioner Sells was to order a COM
plete inven-
Complete Inventory tory of all of
of Indian Live Stock. pne o 9 5 I s.s x
by Indians in this country. These in
cluded 6s9.S47 horses, valued at $15,-
S22.OOo; 22S,21l cattle, valued at $685.
200: 1,451 sheep, valued at $2,714 900,
and about 100000 goats, burros, hogs,
etc. valued at $500, 700, aggregating
SO. 900 in all. The average price of
the horse is less than S25, and that of
the sheep 81. This low valuation was
due to the extremely low grade of the
stock, some of it having no market
value, although consuming large guam
titles of food.
The commissioner realized that for
Years white men have been acquiring
vast sums of money by raising stock
principally upon grazing lands belong
ing to the Indians. He decided that in
stead of leasing Indian grazing lands
for the benefit of white men, the In
dians themselves should derive a profit
o
realize on their lands for themselves he
conceived the idea of creating large
tribal herds of high-grade stock. Near
1y a million and a half dollars was eX-
pended last year upon male animals for
improving the grades of cattle, horses
and sheep, with this end in view.
These animals have been divided among
fifteen Indian reservations, under the
care of experienced stockmen who will
give the Indians instruction in the
practical management of the livestock
industry and the proper methods of
stock raising
With a few exceptions. the Indians
have heretofore opposed any plans to
improve the
Oppose ANY Plans to their stock.
Improve Stock Grades. never at.
tempted in so substantial a manner.
Now many of them are enthusiastically
cooperating with Commissioner Sells.
Already the Crow Indians own one of
the finest herds of blooded cattle in
the United States. 1t numbers over
5000 cattle. and will be heavily in
creased this year. To provide for 1t
the leases on grazing lands held py
white men have been diminished lot
this year.
Under a newly acquired enthusiasm
these Indians have cut and stacked
!. 900 tons of hay to provide emergency
food for their stock in case grazing
gives out The possibility the Indians
have of becoming the future cattIs
kings of America, owning hundreds OF
thousands of blooded stock grazing
upon their own cattle lands. ls being
held before their vision. Many OF the
most progressive tribes are now ready
Since most Indians already own farm
lands, special effort is made to increase
their interest in this industry. During
the past year $50 farmers nave peen EN-
Iloyed AT salaries ranging from $500 to
81 200 per annum to instruct Indians now
10 prepare the soil, the KIND OF seeo 10
select and how to plant, cultivate ana
harvest, and also how to make the most
adyantayeous disposition of their crops.
The plan of this instruction has been 10
district the different reservations and 10
station a farmer teacher in each district
who will keep in close touch with the In
dians and give individual instruction and
advice.
4
A considerable amount of experimental
work TO determine the crops best adapted
to the soil is
Experimental Work to being carried
Determine Best Crops ,,opslv in all
of the reservation schools. One of the
most important branches of experimental
work is in connection with the production
of the long-fibered Egyptian cotton at the
Sacton School on the Pima reservation in
Arizona. Last year fifteen acres were
planted in this crop, from which 730
pounds of cotton lint were sold for 81 ,SI5.
More than 200 acres were planted for this
wear The raising OF Egyptian cotton
in different parts of Arizona promises
10 be of great Importance TO the In
dians because of the new Industries
il furnishes to them. The wages
earned by the Papago Indians during
The cotton picking season will ma
terially help them to higher plane