Pueblo chieftain., 1921-04-26
BIZ FREDERIC ]. HAsk1N

washington, ID. C., April 23.-Thcre
are several thousand individuals in
this country who arc abou;
to have the boon of American citizen
ship conferred upon them by tho
Congress OF tho United States. and
who protest vieorosuly against that
honor. They protest on the simple
ground that they cannot compete.
with other citizens of this country
in the grand game known as business.
They know that to become citizens
means for them to become paupcrs.
Most of the people who arc urging
citizenship upon them know this, too.
born. On the contrary. their an
cestors have been here for several
million years. and came originally
from Asia by way OF Bcring Strait.
These people who arc trying to cs-
capc citizenship arc the Pueblo In
dlans of New Mexico. The measure
which threatens 10 thrust 1t upon
them is the Indian Citizenship Bill.
introduced into tho last Congress and
likely to he passed by this one. II
provides thai the Indians. who arc
now wards OF the government. shall
perty. which the government has
held in trust for them. shall be di-
vided among them TO bc used as they
please. The bill makes exceptions
of several tribes which arc supposed
not to be qualified for citizenship.
but 1t makes no exception OF tho
Pucblos. despite the fact that they
arc considered by many to be utterly
unit for citizenship. and have made
a special plea to bc excused from It.
Friends of the Pucblos arc making
4 determined effort to have thcs.
Indians spared the burdens of ciu-
zcnship. They tne doing this nor
only for the sake of the Indian. who
will almost certainly lose his lands II
he is not protected by the govern
ment. but also for tho sake OF the
country at large. which. with tho
breaking up of the Pueblo villages.
will lose a treasure OF the greatest
Historical and scientific value-onc
which has given pleasure to thou
sands OF Americans and will Eivc
pleasure to Thousands more, Tho
Puebloe arc valuable as Yellowstone
National Park and Niagara Falls are
valuable. They arc picturesque and
charming in themselves. they afford
a wonderful glimpse of America as
II was before Columbus came. and an
opportunity to study primitive men
| who have kept their customs and
beliefs unchanged thru four centuries
OF contact with Spanish and Amcri-
can civilization.
The DissppearisE Iasis.
Practically every other Indian tribe
in America has lost its original char
actcr. and inevitably 80. Tho Nava-
| ia who was n msraudcr and a
nomad. has become a peaceful sheep
hcrdcr. Tho Apache. who out-fought
and out-gcncralcd the soldiers OF
Spain and of tho United States for
two centuries. has become dirty idle
fellow with perpetual thirst for
firewuter. Some of the Oklahoma
| ,r,k rix.tItZpI n
YOU can scarcely tell them from their
white nciEhbors So some Indians
have degcncrated. some have died
out some have been absorbed by in
tcrmarrtASe. some havo gained 4
foothoid in the civilization that over
whelmed their tribes. Only tho
Pueblos haze remained as they were.
And the reason is simple. Tho
Pucblos were sedcntary Indians when
Americ, was discovered. They rep
resented tho beginnings of a native
civilization here. They had already
mcnt houses. they cultivated the land
by an irrigation system which tho
white mon learned from them. they
made pottery and cloth, not only with
skill but with an art which is ad-
mirabfc.
These Indians werc not warlike and
needed nothing but the permission to
live in their strange houses and cui-
tivate their lands. They were cap
ablc of remaining a part OF civiliza-
ton without change. This fact was
appreciated by tho Spanish colonial
admfnistr atorE. who confirmed and
protected tho Fueblos in tho poescs-
sion of their lands. Mexico did the
| same when that country became in
dependent of Spain. and when tho
| United Statcsc took possession of New
Mexico in 1876. the treaty we made
with Mexico once more con nfirmcd tho
Pueblos in the possession 4 their
lands. Mexico did the same when
| that country became independent of
Spain, and when the United States
took possession of Now Mexico In
1S46. the treaty We madc with
Mexico once mora confirmed tho
Pueblo in his possession of the land
and made e impossible for him to
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