Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1922-08-26
INDIANS OPERATE
COMMUNAL FARM
Menominee Tribe Making Sue
cess of U. S. Government
Test in Wisconsin.
THEIR WORD IS ALWAYS GOOD
To All Outward Appearances Reserva
ton Indians Lead About the
Same Lives as Other Rural
Americans.

Menominee Indian Reservation. Ke-
shena, Wis.-The Fish trail from Chi
cago to northern Wisconsin, one Of
the first automobile trails blazed by
wealthy sportsmen when the automo-
bile was luxury, runs through this
reservation.
This summer Menominee Indian,
hearing that an automobile camper be-
side the trail had been caught In the
rain with inadequate shelter, removed
the tarpaulin from his threshing ma
chine and offered 1t to the camper. No
tips were involved; 1t was simply an
act Of courtesy.
These are the MenOminees Of today,
whose historical character was de-
scribed in Washington Indian service
report thus:
"a woods Indian, the Menominee
was striking figure, generally six feet
and over in height, giant in strength
few in number compared with other
great tribes, their bravery and fighting
qualities enabled them to hold their
own with surrounding tribes. Their
word once given could be relied upon"
The federal government Is working
cut an experiment with these modern
1enominees by trying to develop them
;'hroHgh the tribal, that is, the COM
munal, land holding system. now a rar-
ity in most countries. Among most
american Indian tribes communal land
holding has been abolished through
acts of congress alloting the lands.
War Veterans In Tribe.
The work. among the Menominees is
Under the direction of Superintendent
Edgar A. Allen of Keshena. The reser-
walton in northeastern Wisconsin COW
ers an area approximately Is by "a
miles and has population Of about
800 Indians, whose communal hold
ings total 231 600 acres, large portion
of 1t In timber
Superintendent Aliens days are full
of variety. One opened recently with
Il request by an Indian for carriage
harness.
You do not need q carriage har-
ness" replied Mr.. Allen. You are op-
Grating farm and am not going to
give you requisition for something
to take you away from it."
"But l can't farm without a har-
ness"
"You can have harness, but you
cannot use d carriage harness for
blowing"
Later Mr.. Allen led Decoration day
parade. The Menominees still have
nine living Civil war veterans and 20
volunteer veterans Of the great war.
Later In the same week Mr.. Allen
took George Vaux of Philadelphia, one
of the Indian commissioners to inspect
the farm of Menominee who has put
100 acres under cultivation, and has
more than dozen men working for
him, including a few whites. This
Menominee Is the most successful
farmer on the reservation, the out
standing example Of what the govern
ment is trying to do. For those who
would succeed the tribal system Of
land holding Is potential discourage
ment, because when the lands are al
loted there Is no assurance that an
Indian will receive that which he has
developed, or even as much. This
communal system furnished a fund to
help support those members Of the
tribe who are helpless, or so unskillful
4x.t no hi tn sum hon 1Iv-nd
Each Indian receives all the profits Of
what his own enterprise produces. but
the forest lands produce community
fund This usually Is small, the last
allotment from 1t having been $40 a
head year.
Children Give Play.
After the inspection trip Mr.. Vaux
and Mr.. Allen attended play given
by Indian school children.
Along with the courtesy of these
MenOminees goes a marked degree of
neatness and order about their farms.
Disorder and dogs are no more appar-
ent than in other communities, but
there are few dogs with traditional
habits as night pr0WlerS.
To all outward appearances the res
eryation Indians lead about the same
lives as other rural Americans. There
are an experimental farm, govern
nent logging industry and houses that
for order and quiet, good taste and
uDkeep are to be highly commended.
These are the governments examples,
either self-supporting or inexpensive,
to show the Indians what industry
will do.
In an ice cream parlor one evening
this summer several women were
chatting, most of them apparently
from families of small but adequate
means. The topic of conversation was
not how they could find their way in
the woods. but how they were almost
lost when ever they visited Chicago.