Evening star., 1924-10-31

Tor crime. He requires no pa aSspor-
ana Is as free to come and go as is
any white citizen.
X
1t is the settled policy of the Gov
ernment to encourage self-responsi-
ollity among the Indians, although
long-continued wardship, with doles
and with no compelling incentive to
work, weakens the self-reliance of
guardianship be safely and honorably
Withdrawn is one of the most seri-
Gus problems of officials, no less than
of philanthropists
Statistics show that 226,34s Indians
have received individual allotments
of land, in lieu of tribal, communistic
holdings. These allotments aggre-
gate 37,158,655 acres. There remains
35,5o1, ,661 acres to be allotted to 1885,
600 Indians still on tribal rolls. Yet,
even after allotment, the Government
provides supervision to prevent the
holders from being cheated into SELL
ing their farms at unreasonable
prices.
The question is dominant as to
why the Indians should continue,
generation after generation, to be
wards of the Government. instead of
being compulsorily educated and
then thrown upon their own re-
sources, unprotected except by the
general laws of the land Why must
the Government recognize 100000 In
dians and their descendants as per-
petual wards any more than an equal
number of negroes or white morons?
The history of the Indians traces
back to their claim of ownership of
| the continent when Columbus dis
covered 1t. Throughout the centuries
negotiations and treaties have recog-
nized and established rights of the
Original Americans" until today
exist, as the framework of our obli-
cations to the Indians, 370 treaties and
over 1000 specific laws. These cannot be
arbitrarily abrogated simply because
the Indians are no longer to be
feared. The Government of this civ
lized Nation must protect existing
rights, even against the greed of
civilization"
Prior to the establishment of a
Department of the Interior in 1s4s,
the Indian affairs were in the charge
of the War Department, for they
usually were handled only through
martial campaigns. With the pioneer
and "Injun fighters" the "only good
Indian was dead one" Under the
Department of the Interior the In
dian population has increased so that
today it Is thought to exceed the
number here in pre-revolutionary
days.
But tAe problem of civiiizing and
educating the Nations wards is not
simple. They are still divided in 200
tribes, speaking So languages or
dialects, and living under diverse
conditions, from the Usage Indians,
with a greater per capita wealth
than any people in the world, to
others who still live lives of nomads
and dance wild and immoral savage
rites.
Secretary Hubert Work of the De-
partment of the Interior, recognize
ing the complexity of the problems,
has called to his aid an advisory
council, consisting of a hundred Of
the most prominent citizens of the
country who are interested in study
ing the best methods of handling the
Indian situation. These councillors
meet at their own expense-for they
receive neither salary nor expense
funds-and study the many prob
lens together. It is not desired to
destroy tribal traditions or customs,
unless considerations of public morals
demand the suppression of certain of
the old immoral dances. The matter
of schooling is held to be most press
ing. and especially the mingling of
Indian children with white children
in the local schools, in order that
racial prejudices may be broken
down, and the Indians may learn
what the white mans civilization
really means. That Is believed to
be even more important than the
education gained in strictly Indian
schools. ~ ,.s
Copyright. 1924. by Paul v. Colllnsl