Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-01-21

SHALL THE PUEBLos BE CIVILIZED?

come down to him from his fore
fathers. But he does not care for
modern agricultural methods. He
does not want to give up his an
Gent ways. nor does he like to zee
his sons and daughters lured away
from the ancestral Pueblo to be.
come servants In towns.
Each Of these Indian villages,
argue the advocates of the leave
them-alone policy, is a little nation,
with . life Of its, own to which 1t
has just as good . right as any
other little nation. The Pueblos
are = distinctive people. and have
a right to remain so II they choose,
which they do.
The negative in this debate is
taken by Cato Sells, commissioner
of Indian affairs, and by most II
not all Of his agents in the field,
who have charge Of the work CT
educating the Indians.
Mr.. Sells does not pretend to lie
primarily q student of Indian art
or Of archaeology. but he docs
claim to be a true friend Of the In
dian. And it must be said on his
behalf that he has taken his job
seriously, worked hard for the well
fare Of Indians as he sees it, and
accomplished much good.
It is frankly his ideal to civilize
the Indians, and by this he means
to make. them a component part of
our American industrial civiliZa-
ton. He explains that he has no
objection to Indian art. The In
disns are encouraged to make bas-
kets and pottery and blankets, and
to sell them to the tourists. That ia
! legitimate industry. But so far as
: the preservation of the Indian al
I or of the traditional Indian lie
means any interference with the
process Of civilizing the Indian, he
is against the Indian art, and the
Irdian life. He believes In more
schools for the Indians. He be-
lieves in teaching them all to read
anod to write, and also in teaching
them trades, sucht as carpentry
mechanics, modern farming. cook.
ing and sewing. He believes in en-.
couraging the boys and girls to &C
to the towns and get jobs, SO thai
they may become like other Amer.
leans. His policy, If carried to 6
i logical result, would mean the ulti
mate disappearance of the Pueblo;
as such, and Of the Pueblo art ant
life.
I Mr.. Sells says that the scientist:
and artists are not really thinking
of the Indian, but of art and sci
ence. They wish to keep the Indian
as a curiosity, and subject fol
art. But Mr.. Sells has the welfar'
of the Indian at heart, and he be
lieves that their welfare demands
the acceptance by the Indian o
the blessings of American civiliza
ton with all Of its rights and priv.
leges, such as they are.
| OF course, the artists and scien
lists claim that the Indian himsel
/ is their chief concern. And the.
have the Indian, to a considerabl
extent, on their side. He agree
with them that he ought to renal
as he is.
I There has already been some 1T
tie conflict between the scientist
and artists on the one hand, an,
the Indian agents on the other.
! "If it wasn't for you damne'
scientists We would have had tn
Indians down off the mesas and a
work long ago." an Indian agen
recently remarked, according t.
Walter S. Pach, who is student Q
Indian art.
The agents fight a good many @
the old Indian customs, too. The
assert that the marriage ceremon
les of the tribes are immoral. The
, say that the rule of the caciques i
a despotism, which is hard on IT,
young Indians. But the Indian
seems to like both their marriag
/ ceremonies and their cacique:
They are a contented people, ant
in many ways, a remarkably fire.
, one. The authorities say that thei
, art expresses, above all, freedom.
j It is a question which allow
: room for infinite disagreement.
/ is much the same as though OF
Faithful Geyser in the Yellowston
National park were suddenly foun
, | to be a valuable source Of powe,
There would be many who woul
strongly favor destroying il
, natural beauty to make it run
magnetic. and just as many other
, who would regard doing so as
, crime.
= The Pueblo differs from tn
2 geyser in that he has something I
). say for himself. So far he has r.
| sisted all efforts to civilize him wit
: great strength and cunning. U,
S less these efforts are redoubled,
D nay decide his own fate, for a Ion
I time at least, and remain as he
r to delight those who love beaut
| and nature better than they d
e white mems civilization.