Evening star., 1924-08-31
No Other De-
pendent People of
the World as Well
c are d for as
America 5 Wards.
Thomas Jefferson,
More Than a Gen.
tury Ago, Outlined
a Practical Ma
tional Indian Pol
icy-P1ow Dis
places Tomahawk
and Bow.

Indian oil barons of the wealthy
Usage tribe of Oklahoma to the camp
fire of another aged redSkin who is
dependent on the Government for his
daily rationS. A few of the Indians
have been fortunate. and have drawn
rich oil allotments. No less than
1900 old and decrepit red men last
year were pensioners of Uncle Sam
and drew daily ration allowances
from the Government.
Twenty-Five million dollars are now
credited on the records of the Treas
ury Department to the accounts Of
the American redskins for the Wash
ington strong boxes are the depoSi-
tory of the tribal funds. In addition,
individual Indians maintain private
accounts in 1000 banks throughout
this country amounting TO a total Of
S35,000o00. The most recent timber
survey made of the Indian lands re-
ports the value of the merGhantabie
lumber on these holdings at $4,000
600.
TT is really miracle story, the tale
L of the rise of the Osages from
hunters and trappers to multi-mil
lionaires. Today the Usage tribe
ranks as the worlds wealthiest band
Of red men. They own the land from
which the richest oil wells of ths
United States now sush their copious
supplies of petroleum.
Curious to tell, the Osages. years
ago. purchased these lands from the
Cherokees at the low price of sl.2S
an acre. In those earlv days the Cher
okees were proclaimed the most
astute Of real estate dealers when
they sold what was reputed to he
worthless land to the CsageS as
potential happy hunting grounds,
The Osag ges were far better buyers
than they knew when Il ey negotiated
this transaction, for some years later
prolific oil wells were discovered on
their lands. Last year every member
of the Usage tribe had an income OF
$4,000 from oil royalties and bonuses.
The cash income of some Indian faml-
lies amounted to $4,000 or more. At
A. recent sale of Usage leases bonuses
amounting TO s14,00o.Oo0 were pald
to the redskins.
Some of the Creek Indians OF OK
Iahoma are also wealthy owners OF
oil lands. A large group of them
realize an income of more than 500
600 per capita from oil royalties pald
last year.
jackson Barnett is the John Rookie
Teller of the Creeks. His fortune
amounts to s3oO00oo. Years ago,
when it came Barnett's turn TO re-
ceive a land allotment, he refused
to make any selection. The national
authorities finally had to make an
arbitrary allotment to Barnett. Uncle
Sam made a wise choice for TINS
particular Creek, for at present II
is one of the finest pieces of oil lano
in the world.
If Thomas Jefferson could only
arise and review our Indian AFFAIRS
as they now stand, he would be as
sured that his predictions of more
than 100 years ago have come true.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs was
created in 1924 by John c. Calhoun.
who was Secretary of State in the
Monroe cabinet. The conSummation
of this project was the logical out
come of recommendations made by
Thomas jefferson during his occu-
pancy of the presidential chair.
At a special session of Congress the
then President Jefferson spoke in
this wise: I'm truth. the ultimate
point of rest and happiness for the
Indians Is to let our settlements and
theirs meet and blend together. to
intermix and become one people. In
cooperating themselves with US as
citizens of the United States is what
the natural progress of things viii
bring on: it is better to promote
than retard it. 1t is preferable for
them to be identified with US and
preserved in the occupation of their
lands than to be exposed to the dan
gers of being a separate people"
In the Indian boarding schools
Uncle Sam provides food, clothing,
transportation. medical service. dem
tai attention and vocational training
for the young students. The Indian
boys are trained and furnished prac-
tical experience in the manual arts.
trades, agriculture, and stock raising.
while the girls are taught domestic
science and other pursuits of prac-
tical benefit.
The Indian schools were among
the first educational establishments
to provide free medical and dental
service. Recently the Indians of the
Five Civilized Tribes have contributed
$1,000.0O0 of their ind:-idual funds
for the endowment of additional
schools for their children.