Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-27
Shall the Pucblos
be Civilized!
~ Frederic J. Haskiu

=
SO Tint their native Arts And customs win
be preserved uncbangcd7
This question threatens 70 become an
issue, with earnest supporters on both
sides. Never, gipcc we got done fighting
the Indians. has therc been 30 much
interest in then, A. today. This interest
oriQinstcs and centers in aStutic and
scientific circles, but Is shared to a great
extent by the general public, which shows
sn increased tendency 10 pstronize
Indian art and TO buy pictures M Indians
snd books about them.
Last UscynIzED rRIsE.
An of the American Indisns excerpt the
PMblos are either civilized, on the road
To ciyilixa ton, extinct or on the road
To extinction. lntermarrlAge with the
whites or with Mexicans is rapidly wipiny
them out as distinct race IN the United
States. But the Pueblos are different
case. There are seven or eight thousand
of them, and they 1.-Two IN sonne twenty
odd towns, called purblos, in New Mexico
and Arizona Moreover, they have been
living in these same towns, or in towns
Just like them, for centuries. During sl1
those centuries, they have lived much az
they live today. The Spanisrds conquered
them, and made them accept the Chris-
tian faith. But they retained also their
heather fifth unimpaired. They are
perhaps the only people on earth which
profcsses two religions without any drh-
Guilty or embarrassment. And their lives
ere 10 an amazing extent unchanged. Not
only are their hotres similar To those
they lived in when Coronado came to
Taos in the sixteenth century; they are
often the very same houses Their cloth
ing has been modified little 10 material,
but not much In color, scheme or general
appearance. They stin preserve all H
their tribal customs as 10 marriage,
burial and tribal rule. Although they
never 20 TO war, they still dance war
dance. and although the buffalo and the
antelors, have vanished, they still have
dances in honor Of these creatures, at
which buffalo and antelope robes many
decades old Gre used. They are the great
est conservatives on earth. When il comes
10 resisting change, the stand-pst Rspub-
Iicans might take lessons from them.
Naturally. they are very picturesque
They are Of immense Interest TO artists
and scientists and writer's. a Large colony
Of such persons has been formed at Santa
re, New Mexico, which Is in the heart OF
the Pueblo country, and another one has
been formed at Taos Pictures OF the
P,leblos painted in these places are now
to be seen in all Of the principal eastern
vas,eries and many Of the grea. eastern
museums have representatives. IN the
southwest.
These SCIENTISTS and artists hate 70 see
ANYTHING done which tends to impair the
r,icturesaueness Of the Indian Not only
do they wish to keep him tinspoiied as
subject for study and art but they assert
that he has an art of his OWL which Is wall
worth preserving. and which Will be lost
II De is civilized The Indians make pot
sery. baskefs and blankets, which are
beautiful and are now 70 be seen N all
parts Of the country. Authorities say
that some OF this art, especially the pot
terry and the blankets, Is tine best Of ITS
kind that is being done in the United States
today. They say 1t is wrong and foolish
to convert the Indian To our civilization,
when be has a civilization of his own |
which is capable Of producing more !
beautiful objects OF art than ours
RIGHT TO HIS OWN IYK
Furthermore, they argue that the
Indian has Tight TO his own Lie. II tire
rights Of small nations and OF oppressed
people. for which We are supposed 70 Rave
gone 20 war. mean anything st sl, they
mean that the Pueblo should be allowed
tolive his own lie. That IS what he wants
70 do He does not welcome chaDge and
does not pretend &c. He is extremely
peaceful and will not fight with anybody.
He is cood-natured and obiiging, and Is
always willing 10 pose for an artist, or 70
let a linguist explore the inside o his
mouth 70 see how ne talks. For tactfui
srchaolcgist, he viii tell over the folk
tales which have come down TO hun from
his forefathers. But be does not care
for modern agricultural methods. He
does not want 70 give up his ancsent ways,
nor does he like 10 see his sons and
daughters lured away from the ancestral
pueblo 10 become servants ~ towns.
Each Of these Indian villages. argue
the advocates Of the leave-them-alone !
policy, is a little hation. with q life CT Its
own to which it has Just IS good right IS
any other little nation. The Pueoios are /
distinctive people, and have 3 r'ght to /
remain so ii they choose, winch tney DO
The negative in this debate u taken by
Cato Sells. Commissioners Of Indian
affairs. and bv most il net al of has
agents in the field, who have charge Of
the work of educating the Indians.
MIR, Sells does not pretend to be pri-
msrilv a student OF Indian sTt or OF arch
aoloev. but he does claim 90 be a true
fr;en6 OF the Indian. And it must be
said In his behalf that he has taken h1s
lob seriously, worked hard for the welfare
of indians as he sees it, and accom-
plished much good.
n is frankly his ideal TO civiiize the
Indians, and by this be means to make
them q component part OF our American
industrial civilization. He explains that /
he has no objection to Indian art. The
Indians are encouraged TO make baskets
and pottery and blankets, and 70 sell
them to the tourists That IS legitimate
industry. But so far ss the preservation !
If the Ipoian art or of the traditional
Indian life means any interference with
the process of csvilizing the Indian, he is
gainSt the Indian art, and the Indian
lfe. He believes IN more schools for the
indians He believes IN teaching then all
@ read and to write, and also ID teaching
hem trades, such rs carpentry, mechanics,
modern farming. cooking and sewing.
lie believes In encouraging the boys and
rrls to GO to the towns and get Jobs, 40
hat they may become like other Arneri-
ans. His policy, II carried to a logical
esult, would mean the ultimate dis
appearance OF the Pueblos As such, and
{ the Pueblo art and hfe.
INDIANS AS CURIOSITY.
Mr.. Sells Says that the scientists and
Irtists are not really thinking of the
indian, but of art ana science. They
sish To keep the Indian as curiosity. and
subject for art But Mr.. Sells has the