The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-05-08
ASK INDIANS
BE BAR R ED
FROM R0DE0S
Department Chiefs Object
10 Red Men Showing OFF
Old Time Customs

Objection to Indians appearing as
ups to slow off their old time dances
and customs in their old time finery
has been made by superinte ndents of
eight reservations in North Dakota,
South Dakota and Montana.
Declaring that they do not want
the Indian to be considered as relic
of barbarism and interest shown in
him as a curiosity or from the stand
point Of the ethnologist, the rcser-
walton superintendent say they
want him encouraged to take advan-
tage of the present and face the flu
ture armed with the best his white
neighbOrs can give him. They have
asked managers Of rodeos and round
ups in the Northwest to dispense
with the services of the Indians at
the celebrations.
In letter mailed out to all fair
associations and towns where rodcos
are ordinarily staged during the sum-
mer and fall months, the reservation
superintendent say that the pro-
gram outlined by Commissioner
Charles II. Burke contemplates the
formation of farm bureau chapters,
women's auxiliaries and recreation
committees for the purpose Of in
creasing the interest of the Indians
in agriculture, stock raising and Il
more modern community life. The
officials declare they hope to make
diversified farmers of all Indians
living on their allotments and to
change their community life to fit
Indians are now all citizens and if
they are to become efficient and cap
able citizens they must conform to
the ordinary practices of successful
farmers to enable them to make a
reasonable success on their allot-
ments.
Many of the Indians Throughout
the Sioux country are farming and
making a success Of their work, the
letter states. But there are also a
vast number who neglect their farm
ing to travel about during the sum-
mer from one rodeo to another.
An example is given in the letter
of one Indian who has been known
to leave a field of Is acres of good
oats ready to cut to travel Il long
distance to fair to be shown and
paraded in feathers and paint in old
time dances. Cases are also known
the letter says, where Indians ira
yelled practically all h the summer
of 1924 from one place to another
| at the behest of the manage ments OF
various attractions.
1--WE do not want the Indian to be
paraded in paint and feathers while
he goes back to generations and
dances the old savage Dances the
| superintendents declare in the let
ter. 1.-The better element among the
Indians object to this and no good
can accrue from it for the Indian
| Such spectacles give the public the
! wrong idea Of the Indian and what
he is and what has been done for him
/ and what he is doing.
"Without doubt, the good people
who encourage these practices would
! be rudely shocked if tNey were able
to see all the Objectionable features
Of the common practice of encourage
ing and paying the Indian for trot,
ting from one fair and show to an
other.
"Take for example, the young In.
dian girl just home from school. She
is forced by the circumstances to be-
come one Of the rovers and campers
to be stared at and remarked about
Is it to be wondered at that she dons
her beads and paint and feathers
and joins in with the others? Every
one is doing it and the white people
around her think her far more in
teresting in her savage dress than
in her proper clothing in which she
returned from school.
"Many christian people doubtless
watch the antics of the Indian as he
parades before them but they would
be surprised to know that all this
old custom spectacle is absolutely in
imical to the religious welfare Of the
Indian as we'll as his material inter-
ests. No missionary among the In
dams ever approved of these pro-
ceedinps