Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1916-03-10

neglected condition. from the Indian
bureau.
l reaffirm all I have said in my
previous correspondence concerning
these most unfortunate people. There
is absolutely nothing in all these
letters from the Indian bureau cal
culated in the slightest degree to
relieve the present government of the
responsibility for inexcusable neglect
in regard to this deserving but out
cast tribe. The scant attention ac-
corded the Kootenai Indians amounts
to wanton and cruel neglect. The
assertion that there is no room either
on the Colville or Spokane reserva-
ton, which is made by the bureau
of Indian affairs, is disingenuous
1t looks to me like a subterfuge to
evade duty to discharge which
involves but little trouble and an
insignificant outlay.
If, as the Indian Bureau says, it
would not be to the interest of
these Indians to suggest their re-
moval, why is not something worth
while done for their welfare where
they now are? My own opinion is
that their removal to a milder eli
mate and a location where they might
be benefited by the association and
intermarriage with other Indians is
the end most desired But if l am
wrong in that the government is
under obligation to care for them
where they now are with the same
liberality accorded other Indians
This obligation the present govern
ment is not discharging. The Koote-
enais are not receiving anything near
the care from the government their
necessities demand. When 7 first
became acquainted with the Kootenai
Indians there were between five and
six hundred of them in the Kootenai
River Valley. That was twenty
four years ago. Today as the Bureau
states in the letter you send me,
there are only ia of them left. The
significance of this appears distinctly
when it is remembered that there
is no record of a single family ever
having removed to any other part
of the country. In the very face
of this dreadful mortality Mr.. Col
grove reports that: These people
are self-supporting and
but little diseased"
AS you are aware, DR.. E. E. Fry
of Boomers Ferry was invited to
consider a proposition for the medi-
cal attention TO the Indians. He
suggested a contract which allowed
himself no profit for his own SER
vices and but trivial profit on the
drugs and medicine in which he
had no personal interest. This pro-
contract was rejected as "eXhorbi-
tant" as you will see in the COM
missioner's letter to yourself dated
February 8, 1916, At the present
time the government is paying vast
ly more for medical services and
medical supplies than the amount
involved in DR.. Fry's proposal and
neither medicine nor supplies is, I'M
der the present administration, at
all satisfactory. DR.. Fry is still
treating many of these Indians gra-
tuitously and I fear very much the
government will continue to take
advantage of his benevolence while
others are receiving the loaves and
fishes.
1 may say to you that there pre-
walls a determination to see that
these helpless Indians get fair play.
We wish it were practicable to get
the whole matter before Mr.. Sells
or Secretary Lane. If matters are
allowed to remain as they now are
and we are able to get no form of
relief whatever for these Indians
another generation will solve very
effectually the destiny of the Koote-
nais of Idaho. 1 wish it were pos
sible to persuade Mr.. Sells to read
carefully Helen Jackson's "a Cen
tury of Dishonor." The spirit of that
wonderful and humane book might
accomplish for the Kootenai Indians
the results our letters and efforts
have so far failed to accomplish.
Very Sincerely,
BARTLETT SINCLAIR
Parks Gets Contract