Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1916-02-25

kSSkl2&tf9F this land as there were the day CnaC
Columbus landed, fact not gener-
ally known. 1t is recognized by everybody that
the Indian has certain rights of fostering and
of direction along the road to civilization, pros
perity and health, and it is for this high and hui
name reason that the Office of Indian affairs, of
which Cato Sells is the directing chief. must be
administered saney and helpfully.
Even today American people, notably the East
erners, think of the American Indians in the mass
as still being in or less savage state, or
at any rate, state of barbarism. The old-tme
problem had to do largely with the men who
constantly went the warpath> and who were
menace to the advancing civilization of thewhites
The Indian problem for long time in consid-
cradle part department problem.
Today things have changed The problem
largely is with the young Indians, the boys and
the girls who must be trained along lines running
Numerically opposite to those followed by their
ancestors. 1t is largely problem of education,
and the United States government today is trying
to teach the young Indians in order that when
they become old Indians they will present no
such task of regulation and of government
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
it probably will remain contented.
OF course on occasion the restless elders among
mes no longer are roamers and wanderers in the
sense that they as late as quarter of
century ago. The one rowing band is that of
Chief Rocky Boy, and this little group of about
three hundred Indians has reused pity and made
occasional trouble for good many years. 1t is
a Montana band. and while many years ago
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 If
not menace to the people of Montana.
The present commissioner of Indian affairs Mr..
Sells of Texas, lawyer, banker and a farmer,
transplanted temporarily at least into field of
endeavor concerning which he knew a good deal
before the transplanting has succeeded in Undue
ing Rocky Boy and the men, women and children
in his following to 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 reservation for
Rocky Boy, the rover.
AS has been said, the chief problem today is
with the young Indians. If they can be educated
properly the Indian problem in few years will
vanish Recently there was held in Washington
a meeting of the supervisors and superintendent
and instructors of the greater schools for the In
dams throughout the United States. They
called together by Commissioner Sells to consider
a reconstruction of the system of study for the
Indian children of school age. A course of study
has been prepared and has been adopted. 1t is
hoped that it 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 just
been adopted the commissioner says:
ut emphasizes the study of home economics
and agricultural subjects, because any attempt to
change the Indian population of this country from
dependent TO an independent people within
reasonable length of time must give special con-
sheraton 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 subordnated to subjects
which if learned, practically, lead directly to pro-
ductive efficiency and self-support."
The Indian children of the United States receive
primary prevocational and vocational instruction
In introduction to the report the
course of study prepared under the direction of
the commissioner this explanation is made:
The primary division includes the first three