The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-06-12

Of tho reservation has witnessed 80
much loss Of this kind. cunning In
to sums varying from nifty thousand
and to a hundred thousand dollars
season, the whole Indian depart
ment is seeking to discourage such
practices The citizens of the towns
unthoughtfully ask of the Indians
when are you going to have a sun
dancer" as If it were very important,
| and the Indian Is led to think that
| it is important. The white man
wants to take his friends, possibly
| his visitors from the east, out to
witness the sun dance and he makes
diligent inquiries and shows live in
terest in the practice that helps to
wreck the Indians treasury and then
possibly condemns the Indians for
neglecting their crops and not rails
ing much. If white people would
quit asking about these things and
turn their inquiries into the chan
els of agriculture and stock raising,
asking the Indian how much he Is
producing and when it will be ready
for use or market, it would be bet
ter stimulant to the Indians pro-
gress.
quire lands by allotment are gradual
ly reducing in number. Ten years
ago it was considerable more than
it is now. In another ten years it
will be still less, perhaps seven hun
dred, with a tendency to keep re-
ducing. The heirs do not always re-
tain the land and use it. Some of
it is sold to white people, and thus
there is a mixing of the two races
on adjoining lands. The mingling
of the races brings about a better
understanding and will help the In
dams in some respects, perhaps a
help to both races. 1t is inevitable
that under such circumstances, youth
and maidens will love and marry, and
there will be marriages.. of the pure
bloods Of both races and marriages
of mixed bloods until the mingling
will absorb the race of smallest num-
bers That has been the history of
the blending of races. 1t is not the
ideal condition but it is the inevi-
table result of the mingling of peo-
pie, however different they may be
in some respects. This is to be ex-
pected of the population of the reser-
walton, and we might as well know
it and accept it and learn to under
stand each other and make the best
of it.
1t is the wish of the management
at the agency that white people shall
visit the place on occasion and get
better acquainted and know the In
dian problems better. 1--WE may be
busy" he said, when you come, but
we will welcome you and give as
much attention to social matters as
we can while doing our work and
attending to our duties. l am glad
to report to you that the arrange
ments are completed for the paving
of the Yellowstone highway the en-
tire distance from FIT. Hall to POca-
tello to connect with paving already
in USE This is joint project and
had to be approved by each office
and that takes longer for
the preliminaries. The papers in the
case were forwarded to us from
Boise on the 22nd of May, and we
sent them on to Washington on the
oath, the same we received them.
On the day they were due in Wash
tngton | wired that office asking
that they be opened and considered
as promptly as possible, and | also
wired a friend of mine there to call
at the department and urge immedi-
ate attention to it. On the 4th of
June / received a telegram from the
informing me that it was
approved. We we're so anxious to
get construction started here and to
furnish employment, l was much
,ratified at getting action on an i'm
1ortant matter so quickly.
Before adjournment the club voted
o become a member of the Eastern
IDAHO Federation, the union of COM
nercial bodies proposed last week
IN the convention of delegates at
BIackfoot This makes Blackfoot
he first member of the organization
t proposed.
E. C. Rowdon, leader Of the band,
that the new uniforms
we're about due to arrive
J. W. Hartong reported progress
n the arrangements for grading
ourteen miles of the Arco road
rom the Bingham county line east
ward to a point a couple of miles
ast of Taber, and said the road
vii be shortened four miles in build
ng it. 1t is the first project where
he federal government has partfcf-
,ated in the grading of road; 1t
,eing their policy to require COM
'leted grade and then they would
Ielp surface it.
Miss Grac Peck, secretary of the
hamber of commerce, reported that
is time for local people to organ
ze to visit the tourist park to make
INQUIRIES among the tourists about
omeseekers and persons seeking in
estments in the west and show them
round when found. Last winter
here was talk of organizing and as