Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-08-19
Preserving the Indian
BY Frederic J. Haskin

ycdIk RdbJ luc 0uu RORu'
larity of the American Indian have In
creased almost as fast as his numbers
have dwindled. His remains In the
shape Of skeletons and broken pottery
have been assiduously collected and
studied. Learned men have journeyed
long distances to gather the stories OF
the tribes from the lips Of the few sur.
vivors. Indian poetry has been trans
lated and set to music and sung. In.
dian art has been studied, praised and
initiated. In word, now that they
have for the most part either died or
lost their identity by intermarriage the
Indians are famous.
Fame in America always leads TO
Broadway, and at Broadway the Amer
lean Indian has now arrived. His re-
mains are going to be housed IN
building at One Hundred and Fifty
fifth street that will cost quarter OF
a million dollars. 1t will be called the
museum of the American Indian. Heye
foundation, and will be the first mus.
cum in the world devoted exclusively
to the collection and study of the arti-
facts of the American aborigine. The
museum has already been organized.
and is at present occupying several
floors of business building on East
Thirty-third street where it's disting-
uished scientific staff is now strugg-
ling with a mass OF interesting ma
terial which is being sent In by expedi-
tons in South America, the West In
dies and Arkansas. For this Is very
up to date, active sort Of museum.
It Is backed by q number OF New
York's best known millionaires, includ-
ing James B. Ford, Minor c. Keith and
Archer Huntington. It is going after
the ANTIQUITIES in the most modern
manner. IN. ..
Whatever else we may have done to
poor 10 we have not neglected MIN.
While he lived we equipped elaborate
expeditions to hunt him down and kill
him, and now that. he Is dead we
spend millions fitting out still more
elaborate expeditions to dig up and
preserve his remains. w..
The basis of this new museum IS the
remarkable collection OF George U.
Heye. Mr.. Heye is a man OF great
wealth, who shares the collecting IN
stinct which seems to be one OF the
common characteristics of the Amer
lean millionaire When a young man
Mr.. Heye went to Arizona, and saw
there the quaint towns of the Pueblo
tribes. the old adobe missions OF the
Spanish tribes, the herds and hogan OF
the nomad Navaios. The romance and
picturesque quality of the southwest
which is an unspoiled bit Of the long
ago, inspired the young man. ne de
termined to devote his life and wealth
to the study of pre-Columbian America
He has sent over thirty expeditions to
all parts OF North and South America
and the West Ind His collection
contains about 400 0 specimens. and
is worth over half a million. 1t has
never before been accessible either to
the public or to scientists. It Is. said to
include some works in marble and
gold from South America which show
that the ancient civilization of that
continent were not far behind those OF
Europe in some of the arts. ~
This collection is now to be laid be-
fore the public and the scientific
world, while competent staff will
work with every facility to increase
and perfect it. A special feature Of
the new museum will be study room
where scientists will be given special
opportunities for the examination Of
the specimens. a.t El'.- r.
This up to date institution Is not go
ing to confine its activities to the study
of the dead Indian. 1t is keenly aware
that the Indian Is still with us. True
he has been modified by civilization
and intermarriage; but he Is still an
Indian at heart. generally q pagan and
1or ek4 ~ T. mo Nr1A q ro
safely preserved In the wonderful
memory which belongs to all races
that have not invented the. written
word So the live Indian will be the
object Of much attention from this new
museum. pm g. .'@f
Take the 1rouuois or Five Nations,
who lived in New York before the
white man arrived. They are popular
ly supposed to have disappeared. It.
Is not 80. Thew have -'ere]y been
oversb allowed In its prinv days. the
Iroorois confederscy could put abo"t
ten thousand warriors In the field. II
thew had to- the IrOnuois could very
nearly do It todav. Trle. the warriors
would not all be pure blooded Indians
Neither would they he able to respond
with the old time alacr'ty. Some Of
them would have to desert important
business positions. others political
Jobs: manv would leave their fertile
farms with reluctance while quite 4
few would be comrelled to lump the
atrical contracts. Nevertheless there
are nearly as many persons of Iro-
crois blood now as there ever were.
The bulk Of them are living on their
reservations in New York state-there
are USUALLY thirty or forty of them in
New York City-mcstly theatrical
braves. immediately after the Revoll.
ton number Of them moved to Can
ada because they had fought on the
British side. A large rnr'ber Of these
are fighting on the British side right,
row Whole companies Of 1roauois
have gone from Canada to serve in the
ErrcDean war.
A member OF the scientific staff of
the Heye museum was recently visit
KING DESCRIBES LAKE