Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-13

Bureau of Indian Affairs Washington Looks After 325 600 Red
Men-The Work of Commissioner Cato Ses-Cang for Rich Oil
Lands and Great Cattle and Sheep Ranches Big Business

es Is a Big Business.
cultivated in connection with these
schools by the boys and girls. Last
year their live stock was valued at
$4,000. while the products of their
farms amounted to $4,000. The
schools are situated in populous In
dian districts, and are turning out
each year classes Of fine, intelligent.
whom are fit to cope with any other
race in all the ordinary vocations.
In order to give final course to the
advanced pupils desiring to do 50. a
monster school farm Is being planned
to accommodate pupils from every
section of Oklahoma. There will be
10000 acres Of land for the scholars
to work. One of the special features
Will be the development Of high-class
live stock 1t isalso proposed to emf
phasize horticulture and establish ex-
tensive poultry farms and apiaries.
This school will also give to the In
dians an institution second to none in
the United States for the training Of
girls In all that pertains to house,
keeping and social welfare.
The importance Of being born
healthy has, in late years. become one
of the fixed principles in the scheme
Of educational development among the
Indians. Disease and insanitary con-
d1tions are fought with the same de-
termined zeal that Washington
housewife swats the first files Of
springtime.
In order to assist the Indians in
their campaign for good health a to-
tai Of eighty hospitals have been es-
tablished. This requires a force OF
zoo physicians, who are ably assisted
by capable corps Of matrons and
nurses.
Just to show the Woodrow Wilson
administration that the attitude Of
the present crop of Indians toward
the United States government was
quite the opposite from that of the
Sitting Bulls and Geronimos Of a few
years back. they reached far down In
their pockets during the war and
chase Of liberty bonds and war savings
stamps. Also. practically every able
bodied Indian in America Joined the
Army and fought in France shoulder
to shoulder with their white broth
ers.
An outstanding features of the Sells
administration of the Indians 10 his
declaration Of policy, which contem-
plates the release from government
supervision Of all mentally compe-
tent Indians of one-half or less Indian
blood. This policy promises a rapid
progress of the Indian toward inde-
pendent self-support and the control
Of all his property the same as the
average white man,
Il
Following the flrst fifteen months
of the adoption of this policy the
amount Of land patented by such In
dams was twice as much as was
patented during the previous ten
years. This policy is only a logical
step In the contamination Of the pur.
pose to encourage and strengthen the
Indians desire for an individual pos.
session Of property. the requirement
Of capital fund, the getting ahead
Of all those material things that are
basic In personal, family or commun-
ity welfare and that are largely the
index of desirable and progressive
citizenship. In connection with this
idea he is pushing thrift cam.
paign among all the Indians. young
and old. This Is what he says to
them:
The way we handle and the use
we make OF physical or tangible
property enters largely into the
fabric Of Industrial and social we'll.
being and gives stability to civiliza-
ton. Our young Indians should get
the meaning and worth Of this
truth. They should be aided to see
the Importance Of money as a meas
uro OF values. an meana In hiU.,