New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-05-04
COMMISSIONER OF
INDIAN AFFAIRS an
N0UNCES CHANGES
SAYS A POLICY OF GREATER
LIBERALITY WILL NOW BE
PURSUED BY INDIAN
BUREAU TOWARD THE
ORIGINAL INHABITANTS

Washington, May 3.-The follow
ing declaration of policy in the ad.
mlnistration OF Indian affairs ha.
been sent out by the commissioner
During the past four years the eff.
forts Of the administration of In.
dian affairs have been largely con.
centrated on the following fundam.
entail activities-the betterment OF
health conditions of Indians, the SUP.
preston Of the liquor traffic among
them. the improvement of their in
dustrial conditions, the further devel.
opment of vocational training in
their schools, and the protection OF
the Indians property. Rapid pro.
gress has been made along all these
lines, and the work thus reorganized
and revitalized will go on with in
creased energy. With these activi-
ties and accomplishments we'll un-
der way, we are now ready to take
the next step in our administrative
program.
The time has come for discontinu.
ing guardianship of all competent In
dians and giving even closer atten-
tion to the incompetent that they
may more speedy achieve compe-
tency.
Broadly speaking, a policy of great
er liberalism will henceforth prevail
iii Indian administration to the end
that every Indian as soon as he has
been determined to be as competent
to transact his own business as the
average white man, shall be given
full control of the property and
have all his lands and moneys turn
ed over to him, after which he will
no longer be a ward of the gov
ernment.
Pursuant to this policy. the follow
ing rules shall be observed:
l. Patents in Fee: To all able
bodied adult Indians of less than one
half Indian blood, there will be
given as far as may be under the
law full and complete control of all
their property, Patents in fee shall
be issued to all adult Indians of one
half or more Indian blood who may
after careful investigation be found
provided, that where
deemed advisable patents in fee shall
be Withheld for not to exceed 10
acres as home.
Indian students, when they are 81
years of age, or over, who complete
the full course of instruction in the
government schools, receive diplo-
mas and have demonstrated compe-
hn
2. Sale of Lands: A liberal ruling
will be adopted in the matter of
passing upon applications for the
sale of inherited Indian lands where
the applicants retain other lands and
the proceeds are to be used to i'm
prove the homesteads or for other
equally good purposes. A more lib
,ral ruling than has hitherto pre-
vailed will hereafter be followed
with regard to the applications of
1oncompetent Indians for the sale
IF their lands where they are old
and feeble and need the proceeds
'or their support.
3. Certificates of Competency:
The rules which are made to apply
n the granting of patents in fee
md the sale of lands will be made |
equally applicable in the matter of
ssuing certificates of competency.
a. Individual Indian Moneys: In !
lians will be given unrestricted con-
rol of al, their individual Indian
moneys upon issuance of patents in
zee or certificates of competency
Strict limitations will not be placed
lpon the use of funds of the old, the
ndigent, and the invalid.
5. Pro Rata Shares-Trust Funds
Us speedy as possible their pro rata
hares in tribal trust or other funds .
hall be paid to all Indians who have
'een declared competent, unless the .
egal status of such funds prevents
Where practicable the pro rata
hares of incompetent Indians will
e withdrawn from the treasury and
'laced in banks to their individual
redit.
6. Elimination of Ineligible Pupils
rom the Government Indian
In many of our boarding
chools Indian children are being ed
Gated at government expense whose
arents are amply able to pay for
heir education and have public
chool facilities at or near their
ONES. Such children shall not
GREATER be enrolled in government
indian schools supported by gratui-
y appropriations, except on pay
lent of actual per capita cost and
These rules are hereby made eff
ective, and all Indian bureau admin
'trative officers at Washington and
, the field will be governed accord
Ugly.
This is a new and far reaching
eclaration of policy. 1t means the
avn of new era in Indian admin
tration. 1t means that the compe- A.,
ent Indian will no longer be treat
d as half ward and half citizen.
means reduced appropriations by
ne government and more self-res-
ect and independence for the In
ian. II means the ultimate absorp-
on of the Indian race into the
ody polite of the nation. II means
| short, the beginning of the end .
the Indian problem. u
In carrying out this policy, III
herish the hope that all real {
lends of the Indian race will lend
leir aid and hearty cooperation.
CATO SELLS, II
Commissioner. Z
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