Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-07-11
INDIAN WOMEN
And Children Doing
Bit to Help Win War
KIMONO SILKS

DlC w 1lGlD w III w dI
Washington. July 1o-The deeds
Of Indians who have enlisted il
large numbers in the military serv-
ices are hardly more inspiring than
those Of the women and children LET:
behind This IS a partial account
Of the answer made by the people on
the reservations when the Great
White Father" in Washington called
TO the tribes and races inhablting this
land of freedom to rise in its de
Tense
Reports receiIae by Cato Sells,
Commissioner 81 Indian Affairs,
from about one third of the Indian
reServationiStS, Indicate a total Red
Cross membership Of close to 10000,
contributions in money amounting
TO more than $4,000 and further do
nations Of thousands Of hospital
garments and knitted articles. That
is not full measure Of the Red
Mans generosity, however, for the
reservations do not house many In
dianS, including the more wealthy
whose charitable activities are liste
with the general population.
Resorting to methods of the
white man to raise money, the
Omaha tribe recently held an auc-
ton for the Red Cross which nettad
$4,000, including $500 for prize
goat.
The boys of a school in the north
west gathered 1000 pounds Of
Sphagnum moss for surgical alb
sorbent pads. Some 400 Christmas
boxes were reported, which is incom-
plete, as nearly all Of the 40 board
ing schools have service flags with
stars ranging in number from a few
to two hundred, and the pupils OF
these schools are very mindful Of
their soldier representatives. One
of the larger schools reported i
Students Friendship War Fund,
with $3.50 on hand and twelve war
savings societies. This school in
four weeks bought 1000 thrift stamps
and IA Baby Bonds.
On a small reservation far north.
where the winters are long and Sc
for the necessities Of life, more than
one dollar per capita for every adult
was paid in cash for the Red Cross
and other war relief purposes. II
the Southwest where the parchei
desert gives scant returns and sheep
raising is the chief means of sup
port, many of the Indians have each
promised a fleece of wool for the
Red Cross and the perintendent
plans the experiment of spinning this
wool and knitting it into socks.
sweaters. etc, by the Indian women
In Montana district where the
Indians are nearly all full-bloods
they voluntarily held meetings and
each one who has a growing wheat
crop promised to donate one sack
of wheat for war relief work. On
another reservation where the In
dams are very poor and have little
ready money. they donated an album
dance Of handsome bead work AMI
other curios to be sold for the Red
Cross.
One of the smaller schools in Okla
homa reported a Junior Red Cross
membership of 176 members, being
the total enrolment of the school.
The superintendent Of one of the
boarding schools for girls of the Five
Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma de-
clared the girls are deeply interested
in all war work and respond readily
70 requests for additional garments.
The very small girls knit up the
scraps of yarn into refugee caps.
afghan squares, etc. Also they
utilize the scraps from the hospital
garments making quilt blocks, Lars-
sr scraps are used for small under
skirts for the refugees. Gun wipers
have been cut by the hundred.
From a. northern Minnesota res
-erya ton. where it is believed the
first Indian Red Cross auxiliary was
started in the spring Of 1917, the
president Of the auxiliary writes;
THE auxiliary numbers 4S and
this from a community Of less than
hundred adults. Some OF these
women have walked to the weekly
meeting place across the ice from
Old Agency when the temperature
was twenty degrees belo" zeEo.
They have sewed on hospital shirts
and socks and learned to KNIT the
vario'ls garments just as their white
sisters of the cities have done.
"One evening recently an Indian
and his wife, living seventeen miles
away. came to the home Of tho
treasurer and inquired about the
work being donsysths woman bringt
ing her dollar f0r IasmFrhip' say