The Coconino sun., 1923-11-16
AMERICAN INDIAN is
STAGING COMEBACK

Like his old friend the buffalo, the
American Indian is making come
back. Figures recently announced by
the bureau of Indian affairs show our
American Indian population is now
344 1903.
''Not only last year, but for 80
years the redmen have steadily been
gaining on their death rate" says a
bulletin from the Washington, d. c.,
headquarters of the National Geo.
graphical society.
"Today there are six Indians per
square mile on reservations, which
comprise an area not much smaller
than that of all New England. Ac-
cording to the best estimates avail
able there was an average of only
one Indian for every three square
miles when white people first came to
American shores. If only two-thirds
of the United States were occupied by
redskins at the present reservation
population rate, there would be 22,-
100000 Indians in the United States
today.
"Massasoit gave the Pilgrim Faith
ers corn, but the fact is that Massasoit
and his kith and kin lived for the
most part by products of the chase.
Deer, buffalo, bear and rabbit were
their pork and beef, and berries and
nuts their potatoes. Even verdant
America could not support an intense
population living in this fashion. The
total Indian population at the time
Columbus landed at San Salvador is
set at about $4,000. If all the tribes
from the Pacific to the Atlantic, and
from the Gulf to the Great Lakes had
assembled at one great meeting they
would have made up community as
large as Detroit, and only a few thou
sand greater than Cleveland or
Boston.
"White mems guns decimated some
tribes; disease, dissipation and epi-
denies which came with the white
men, spread death more surely. Small
pox epidemics swept through the west
ern tribes three times between 1871
and 1887 with more fatal results than
the influenza plague of 1918. "A pc
culiar fever killed 10000 Indians in
California and Oregon in one year. By
1880 the Indian population had been
reduced to 256,127, therefore, the
present population represents an in
crease of nearly 100000 in 80 years.
Zone American Indian tribe today
is the richest people on the face of
the earth. Beneath the lands of the
Usage Indian tribe in Oklahoma, oil
was discovered. Their wells produce
$50,000,000 worth of oil annually, and
Uncle Sam, who handles the business
for his red brother, distributes to each
member Of the tribe from $4,000 to
$4,000 each year. In 1922, more than
100000 barrels of oil were produc-
ed on the Usage lands.
partial adaptation to the white
mans ways and care by Uncle Sam
are responsible for the increase in In
dian population. The redman may
still be a hunter, but a visitor to the
reservation will find the redskin use
full as we'll as noble. He is often
rancher, dairy farmer, gardener, wea-
yer, pottery maker, rug maker, poul-
try raiser, typist, bookkeeper, miner,
lumberer, guide and he even clips
coupons.
"Out of the ruin Of Indian civiliza-
ton more than 200 tribes have been
Salyaged. 1heSe tribes are lodged on
nearly 200 reservations varying from
tiny rancherias in California to the
great Navajo reservation in Arizona
and New Mexico, larger than the
state of Maryland. The bureau of In
dian affairs is their guardian. 1t is a
government by itself having a cab
met of six commissioners and under
taking all-encompassing activities
typical of which are, probate court, |
trust company, public roads commits
sion, orphan asylum, town buildings
and operation of a philanthropic as
sociation, bank and employment
agency.
Recently the redman once more
daubed himself with garish war paint,
dressed himself in all of his feathers
and hit the war path. The path led to
and the Indians broke into
the movies. Uncle Sam gave permis-
sion for the Shoshone and Arapaho
tribes of the Wind river reservation in
to go to the movie city to
- ,,-oJ ~. ~