The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1920-06-04
Interesting Address
By Aren ahoe indian


the Indian population of the United
States are not citizens of the country,
and it was plea for fair deal for
his countrymen that brought Rev.
Sherman Coolidge, ll-blooded
Arapahoe Indian, to the Episcopal
church Sunday evening Every seat
in the church was taken, and the talk
was most interesting.
Even though college graduate and
an ordained minister. Mr.. Coolidge
was past fifty years of age before he
voted without fear of challenge
that is, he was not citizen entitled
to vote. The privilege came to him
only after he had taken up his allot-
ment of land in Wyoming, and citizen
ship was his with the title to his land.
Indian braves who fought so well
in the world war (and Indians have
fought whenever this country has
needed protection) have been given
citizenship.
The speaker was very interesting
when he told number of facts in re-
gard to the original owners of the
land of the western hemisphere.
Scalping came only, he said, after
white men sold the red men steel
knives, and after a bounty had been
offered by two of the colonies for In
dian scalps much as bounties are now
given for undesirable animals. Scalp
ing would have been a difficult pro-
cess with the bone or stone knives
known to the natives. Indians never
scalped live whites unless they were
pretending to be dead.
Rev. Coolidge said that we hear the
stories of thieving and of massacres
by his people, but that we hear little
of the policy of determination of his
race, and of the resultant breaking up
of families. He can never forget the
passing Of his relatives at the hands
of whites-particular the death of
his grandmother
The position of our red brothers in
this country is chaotic. In some To-
calities they are citizens of the state.
In others they are wards of the gov
ernment, without the privileges of
others. An effort is being made by an
Indian association of the whole coun
try to have a universal policy of as
great breadth as possible.
While negroes and foreigners are
allowed to pass at will from one sec
tion of the country to another, an In
dian is practically prisoner on his
reservation He may not leave with
out permission
With regard to Christianizing thu
tribess etspeaker- said that they ar
receptive, but that the great obstacle
is the heather, atheistic, vile Chris
tians, so-called among the whites. HI
said that aside from the religion WI
know of through legends. there was {
religion among all the tribes simila
to that of the Jews, in which they helt
one God sacred. However. he sait
they are not one of the early departed
tribes of Jews, as is sometimes
claimed, or they would have had al
of America laid out in town lots ant
sold long ago.
! We have learned at school that In
dians do not smile. When the speaker
was asked where he learned to smile
he said that all Indians SMILE but no
perhaps in view of the enemy.
Telling of some Of the Indian relics
to be found in the Smithsonian Insti
tute, he spoke of pearls manufactured
in Ohio. The beads were made of clay
thousands of years ago, and found il
and then polished with ground mica.
Rev Coolidge feels that the Indian
is receiving some recognition, calling
attention to the fact that the frs
lady of the land claims that people o
that race were among her ancestors
He is delighted also that among tn,
presidential possibilities is Senator
Owen of Oklahoma. who is one-fourtl
Indian. Members of the race are il
both House and Senate, and the chair
man of the Banking and Financia
Committee in the Senate has Indiai
blood in his veins.
The speaker is not especially al
orator, but was well able to presen
his subject in such way as to gaiI
the sympathy of his hearers.
Arapahoe Indians once inhabited
this section of the country, and tn,
site of Denver is said to have one,
belonged to the father of the reverend
gentleman who spoke Sunday night
and who now lives in that city.