The Raymer enterprise., 1916-02-24

the Office OF Indian affairs.
Here is an Office which In a vital
E-SA way has control OF the affairs of
K .N S5O,000 people who once owned all
W. N of the continental United States
MZ%Q There are about as many Indians in
EsE2O TINS land as there were the day that
Columbus landed. fact not gener
ally known, 1t Is recognized by everybody that
u'a Indian has certain rights OF fostering care and
OF direction along the road TO civilization. pros
pedty and health and II Is for this high and hu
name reason that the office of Indian affairs of
wtich Cato Sells is the directing chief must be
administered sanely and helpfully
Even today American people, notably the East
eihefs' MINK OF the American Indians in the mass
as still being In more or less savage state or
al any rate, a state OF barbarsm The oldtime
problem bad 10 do largely with the men who
constantly went on the warpath and who were a
MENACE to the advancing civilization OF the whites
The Indian problem for long time was In co,s,d
cradle part war department problem.
Today things have changed, The nrob,er
largely is with the young Indians. the bows and
the girls who must be trained along lines runpln,
diametreally opposite to those followed BY their
ancestors. II is largely problem of educa,io,
and the United States government today is irving
to teach the young Indians in order that when
they become old Indians they will present no
such task OF regulation and of government as
that which confronted the authorities in the cases
OF their .forefathers
Today there is only one rowing band of Indians
in the continental United States and even This
band Is now at rest within certain limits where
1t probably will remain contented
VI course on occasion the restless elders among
the Indians wander about little, but the aborlgi
nes no longer are roamers and wanderers in the
sense that they were as late as quarter Of n
century ago The one rowing band is that OF
Chief Rocky Boy, and this little group of about
three hundred Indians has reused pty and made
occasional trouble for a good many years. II is
Montana band. and while many years ago con.
gress tried to do something definite for Rocky
Boy and his followers, the attempt came to little
or nothing. and they kept on rowing charge II
not menace to the people OF Montana
The present commissioner of Indian affairs. Mr.
Sells OF Texas, lawyer. banker and farmer
transplanted temporarily at least into a field of
endeaTor concerning which he knew a good deal
before the transplanting has succeeded in induc.
ing Rocky Boy and the men, women and children
In his following 10 locate upon government land
in Montana, where they have an area equal to four
townships on which to dwell, there to till the soil
TO earn their living Congress will be asked this
winter to set aside this land as a reservation for
Rocky Boy, the rover.
AS has.been said, the chief problem today ia
with the young Indians II they can be educated
properly the Indian problem in a few years will
vanish. Recently there was held in Washington
a meeting of the supervisors and snperiutendents
and instructors Of the greater schools for the In.
dians throughout the United States They were
called together by Commissioner Sells to consider
n reconstruction Of the system OF study for the
Indian children of school age course of study
has been prepared and has been adopted II is
hoped that II will give To the children of the
Indians the best vocational training offered by
any school system in the United States
Concerning this course Of study which has lust
been adopted the commissioner says:
1T emphasizes the study OF home economies
and agricultural subjects, because any attempt to
change the Indian population OF this country from
a dependent to an independent people within a
reasonable length Of time must give special con
sideration to the Improvement of the Indians
homes and TO the development OF their lands The
usual subjects of school instruction are not neg
lected. but they subordinated to subjects
which. II learned practically, lead directly to pro
ductiye efficiency and sef.support"
The Indian children of the United States receive
primary. prevocational and vocational instruction
In an introduction to the report on the new
course Of study prepared under the direction OF
the commissioner this explanation is made:
"The primary division includes the first three