The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-03
THE HASKINLETTER
SHALL The PUEBLOS Be CIVILIZED?
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

be said on his behalf that he has taken
his job seriously, worked hard for the
welfare of Indians as he sees it, and
accomplished much good.
1t is frankly his ideal to civillze the
Indians, and by this he means to make
them a component part of our Ameri-
can industrial civilization. He explains
that he has no objection to Indian art
The Indians are encouraged to make
baskets and pottery and blankets, and
to sell them to the tourists. That is
legitimate industry But so far as the
preservation of the Indian art or of the
traditional Indian life means any inter-
ference with the process of civllizlng
the Indian, he is AGAINST the. Indian
art, and the Indian life. He believes in
more schools for the Indians. He be-
lieves in teaching them all to read and
to write, and also in teaching them
trades such as carpentry. mechanics,
modern farming, cooking and sewing.
He believes in encouraging the boys
and girls to go to the towns and get
jobs. so that they may become like
other Americans, His policy, if carried
to a logical result, would mean the I'LL
innate disappearance of the Pueblos as
such. and of the Pueblo art and life.
Mr.. Sells says that the scientists and
artists are not really thinking of the
Indian, but of art and science. They
wish to keep the Indian as a curiosity,
and subject for art. But Mr.. Sells
has the welfare of the Indian at heart,
and he believes that that welfare de-
mands the acceptance by the Indian of
the blessings of American civilization
with all of its rights and privileges,
such as they are.
OF course. the t~tists and scientists
claim that the Inulan himself is their
chief concern. And they have the In
dian, to a considerable extent, on their
side. He agrees with them that he
ought to remain as he is
There has already been some little
conflict between the scientists and
| artists on the one hand, and the Indian
agents on the other.
IF it wasn't for you damned scient-
| lists we would have had the Indians
down off the mesas and at work long
ago an Indian agent recently remark
| ed, according to Walter S. Pach, who
is student of Indian art
The agents fight a good many of the
| OLD lndlan customs too. They assert
| mat the marriage ceremonies of the
| tribes are immoral They say that the
| rule of the CaciQueS is despotism
| which is hard on the young Indians
But the Indians seem to like both their
marriage ceremonies and their caciques
| They are contented people, and, IN
many ways. remarkably free one
| The authorities say that their art ex.
presses, above all, freedom.
1t is question which allows room
| for infinite disagreement 1t is much
the same as though Old Faithful eey.
ser in the Yellowstone National parl
were suddenly found to be a valuable
source of power. There would be
many who would strongly favor de.
stroying its natural beauty to make il
run magnetic, and Just as many 9th.
ers who would regard doing SO as {
crime.
The Pueblo differs from the geyse,
in that he has something to say foI
himself. So far he has resisted all eff
forts to civilize him with great Strength
and cunning. Unless those efforts ar,
redoubled. he may decide his own fate
for a long time at least, and remain al
he is to delight those who love beaut,
and nature better than they do whit
mems civilization.