Pueblo chieftain., 1921-04-26
SPARE THE PUEBLOS

mains today as a curious and beau
uful survival of primitive America
Value OF Pueblo.
More and moro tho Pueblo is being
appreciated by artists. scientists and
by Americans In general who travel.
When he holds ono of his strange
dances. hundreds. sometimes thou
sands, OF spectators come to watch.
Every year a regiment of learned
scientists goes to New Mexico to study
the Pucblos. and another regiment OF
artists goes TO paint them. An art
colony has been formed at Taos An
inter estinr development in this con-
ncction Us that some young Indian,
have learned from the artists how 20
paint and have shown high ability.
They have never learned business.
and they do not take TO modern aE-
ricultural machinery, but they learn
how TO paint readily and Instructive
ly. They are race of artists and
drcamors. They have no desire to
ness. They have no training for
such A word and no aptitude.
That these Indians should he pre-
served as they arc and allowed to
live their natural lives. for their own
sake and for the sakc of science and
point which scarcely seems to need
laboring. For the sake of New
Mcxico. too. they should bc left ~
they are. More and more money Is
brought into that state every year 10y
persons who are attracted by the pic
turc~Guc and historical features OF
tho state. and OF these tho Pucblos
are one OF tho most interesting.
Hotels arc being built to accommo-
date the growing thronR OF tourists
TO that country. and com panics arc
organized TO show them the sightF
4 rsrtfN n ttg DTyn A.F1 md
festivals arc ono OF tho chief at
fractions whic n these companies
have to offer.
Whence. thcn. comes the demand
that tho Indians he given citizenship
There seems little doubt that II
comes primarily from certain power
full persons who have cas-, covctous
eyes upon the Indian lands These
lands arc tiny patches upon the
great extent OF tho southwest. but
they arc rich and valuable, II u now
impossible to buy them. But when
viduai sllotmsnts. each Indian viii
have the right to sell his own. Uc
Will not want TO sell. but tho white
mon know how to got around that
difficulty. The Indians will he en-
couraScd to 60 into debt. and their
lands will he attached and sold. Tho
methods of accomplishing this haV~
been brought to a high degree of per-
fcction In taking their lands away
from the Mexicans. These people arc
being rapidly converted from con-
tented small farmers into poor labor
ors- 1t ts oasy TO get them in debt
drouth and the loss OF a crop fur
nishcs an opportunity. Sickness. fu-
morals. marriages, arc all occasions
for lending money. Sometimes tho
thing is done fairly. Sometimes tho
Mexican is induced to sign papers no
cannot read Sometimes he bartcrs
away his homo when he TX drunk.
All OF these methods can he applied
to the Indian more easily than to the
Mexican because tho Indian knows
oven less OF business and Is oven
more of "A child. Soon tho Pueblo
lands will have passed into the
hands of land spoculators and the In
oians will have gone forth to struE-
glo for living as laborcrS. Soon
tho great communal housos tho
dances and fcasts and ceremonies tho
pottery and baskets. and jcwelry Of
silver and tur1uois. will he no moro.
Tho traveller. tho artist and scientist.
will look in vain for that living vision
of tho past. which Is always so curl
ously interesting. Tho last vestigc of
1t will have been crushed Tho steam
roller OF civilization will have fin
ishcd Its work for the red man.