Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-02-25

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 1t 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 sanely and helpfully.
Even today American people. notably the East.
erners. think of the American Indians in the mass
at any rate. state of barbarsm. The oldtme
problem had to 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 a long time in consid.
cradle part war 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
diametrically opposite to those followed by their
ancestors. 1t is largely a problem of education
and the United States government today ia 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 at rest within certain limits where
II probably will remain contented.
or course occasion the restless elders among
the Indians wander about little, but the aborigi
sense that they late quarter of q
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 a good many years. 1t is
n 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
nothing, and they kept 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 field OF
endeavor concerning which he knew a good deal
before the transplantng, 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 four
townships which to dwell. there to till the soil
to their living Congress will be asked this
winter to set aside this land a reservation for
Rocky Boy the
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 held in Washington
a meeting of the supervisors and superintendents
and instructors of the greater schools for the In
dams throughout the United States. They were
called together by Commissioner Sells to consider
a reconstruction of the system of study for the
Indian children of school age. course of study
has been prepared and has been adopted. 1t 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 just
been adopted the commissioner says:
1T emphasizes the study of home economics
and agricultural subjects. because any attempt to
change the Indian population of this country from
n dependent 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
Iected. but they subordinated to subjects
which, If learned practically. lead directly to pro
ductive efficiency and sef-support."
The Indian children of the United States receive
primary. prevocatioual 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: