Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-05-04
INDIAN IN EVOLUTION.

the Indians are going to come now
thick and fast. Two points in this
supposition we CLEAN from the Con
gressionaI Record. The first, from
the issue of April oath: Represent
alive johnson, of Washington, has
introduced two bills in Congress,
one of them being for Oil. r. 300
the Establishment of the office of
Indian Affairs, the closing out of
Indian tribal organizations. and for
other purposes" and the other (H.
r. 3776) for the Establishment of
the board of Indian Commission
ers."
The other point is. that Commits
sioner Sells seems to be managing
to the same end, as he has Just
promulgated the following "Decla-
ration of Indian Policy" which has
been sent to all Indian Superinten-
dents and other officials in the In
dian service. 1t is published in
full in the Congressional Record
of April 18th, towit:
"During the past four years the
efforts of the administration of In
dian affairs have been largely con-
centrated on the following funda-
mental activities: Tie betterment
of health conditions of Indians, the
suppression of the liquor traffic
among them. the improvement of
their industrial condition, the fur
Their development of vocational
training in their schools, and the
protection of the Indians proper
ty. Rapid progress has been
made all along these lines, and the
work thus reorganized and revival
lied will 90 on with increased en-
ergy. With these activities and
accomplishments we'll under way,
we are now ready to take the next
step in our administrative pro-
gram.
The time has come for discontin-
uing guardianship of all competent
Indians and giving even closer at
tention to the incompetent that
they may more speedily achieve
competency.
Broadly speaking. a policy of
greater liberalism will henceforth
prevail in 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 his
property and have all his lands and
moneys turned over to him, after
which he will no longer be a ward
of the government.
Pursuant to this policy the fol-
lowing rules shall be observed:
l. Patents in fee: To all able
bodied adult Indians of less than,
onehalf Indian blood there will be
given, as far as NAV be under the
law, full and complete control of
all their property. Patents in fee
shall be issued to all adult Indians
of onehalf or more Indian blood
who may, after careful investiga-
ton, be found competent, provid-
ed, that where deemed advisable
patents in fee shall be withheld.f for
not to exceed forty acres for a home.
Indian students, when they are
d years of age or over, who COM
plete. the full course of instruction
in the government schools, receive
diplomas, and have demonstrated
competency, will be SO declared.
q. Sale of lands: A liberal rul-
ing 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 he
used to improve the homesteads or
for other equally good purposes. "A
more liberal ruling than has hith,
erto prevailed will hereafter be
followed with regard to the appli-
cations Of nOncompetent Indians
for the sale Of their lands where
they are old and feeble and need
and need the proceeds for their
support.