The Tomahawk., 1919-09-04
An Indian woman's Story.


(By Miss Elsie Elms. Rochester, n. "
Excerpt from plea for the In
dian race by an Indian woman,
Miss Elsie Elms, of Rochester. n.
Y. 1t has ring that is sublime,
grand and noble. r. =: a. +. Z.
THE old life of the Indian is
gone. But how do We find hiapa
Is he now filling bis place or living
in touch with bis surroundings9
There is but little trace of the
wholesome outdoor life of activity,
and alertness. He is broken in
spirit and health; conquered and
discouraged he sees no use strug-
Cling to maintain the old life, and
sees no justice or encouragement
in the new civilization which places
him on reservations because he
could not survive contact with
civilized life. He is tho only race
| of oil backward people whose case
seems hopeless in the land Of the
free and the home of the brave
where all foreign people find pros.
perity, freedom, liberty and jus.
tice. The Indian has proven him +.
self loyal and true in times:of the
country's greatest need. Eight
thousand of our boys gave their
lives to make the world safe for
democracy and yet aferz fighting
for cause that speaks of justice,
right and liberty. are not allowed
to enjoy them in their fullest
sense. @'~>
1T is true that the lncian en-
joys certaiu liberties which only q
reservation can offer, but is it the
kind of liberty that builds for Z
greater and broader view of life
and its possibilities2 Has it given
Il, the country the citizens that
make any country q power socially
and industriously9 Is there justice
in system that deprives one of
privileges that upllft all other
races? A system that encourages
him to remain original and then
censures him for not making more
rapid progressl We treat him as
one uncivilized and then we ex-
pect civilized results. We separ-
ate his interest from our interest
which encourages tribal sin which
in itself Ia not original. His Ian.
guage is not original-his dress is
not. originsl-commercialism has
entered into his religious cere-
monies and dances which rot's
them of their sincerity and origin
ality-his mode of living and eat
ing is a thing of the past-the
advent of new diseases is An added
hardship-his personality is gone,
and yet he is made to believe, IS
. real Indian he is more appreci.-
ted than he would be as citizen
of the United States. -
And yet we encourage our
foreigners to become citizens and
give them every opportunity to
apply themselves and by so doing
they soon become = very part of
your American life, socially, in
dustrially and financially. There
| is no reservation for negroes and
no restrictions in your body polite
and in their few years of freedom
they have made remarkable pro-
Egress. But 'Lo, the poor Indian"
what Of himf Pushed hither and
thither, exploited and demoralized,
he remains bewildered and spent,
waiting for the next move of his
lconquerors. He is not as he is
becsuse he is an Indian, but be-
cause of conditions which have
been thrust uIcn him. He is like
10 scholar chat has finished q graded
school and then suddenly thrust
into college for the finishing
touches. There can he no pro-
qress until he is allowed to come
up with the times.
/ l. -~k ,,nnn~ nnoooe0 rSIv fnP