The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1926-01-14
Indian Demands Liberty
For His Fellow Red Men.
Dsslarss Bureau Here Must be Reorganized
and Charges Constant Bad Faith.
\By John T. Flynn, in Washing
ton, D. c.. Star.

>By John L. Flynn, in Washing
H.. ton, D. G., Star.
America has emancipated Ger
colored sons. She has fought two
wars to free the vassals of Spain in
the Antilles and the submerged
peoples of Europe. Now it is time
for her to free her Indians" /"
Edward Rogers, a descendant of
the famous Chippewa tribe, a
graduate of Carlisle and the Uni
versity of Minnesota, and now a
distinguished lawyer of that State,
made this statement to me.
HAS. the average American
paused to think what the Indian
reservation means9 1t means that,
while the United States opens her
opportunities to every nation on
the globe and welcomes millions
from other lands, including the In.
dians from South America, her
own red men she treats as savage
children. Why9 In order to
keep a horde of Office holders in
jobs in the Indian Bureau"
Father Was White
Mr.. Rogers father was a white
man. He was one of the pioneers
who founded the State of Mime
sofa. His mother was a member
of one of the distinguished families
of the great Chippewa tribe of In
dians. When in college he was
nationally known as a foot ball
star. Many are the trophies he
has won in athletic games and con
tests. At present he is county
attorney of Cass County, one of
the largest counties in Minnesota.
He has held Office continuously for
II years, elected by the white
people, the Indian population of
the county being negligible. A
few years ago he was barely de-
feated for secretary of state of
Minnesota. Mr.. Rogers is proud
of his Indian blood. He has made
a close study of the Indian ques.
tion for many years and is known
IS leader among his people.
/ went to him for the facts on
the Indian. For many years emin
ent scholars and public men have
alike denounced the treatment of
the Indian by his government.
4 Political Question.
Would you tell me more about
the Indian problem, l continued.
A. 1t begins and ends in the
Indian Bureau at Washington and
the reservation system, which is
its method of perpetuating its ex-
istence for political job hunters
and Office seekers. Our opposition
to that bureau is intense, deep
rooted and we'll founded. Created
for-the laudable purpose of pro
noting the welfare of the Indian
that he might be absorbed into the
body polite of the Nation, it has
almost from the day of its creation
obstructed the progress of the In.
dian, despoiled him of his pro.
perty, crushed and stifled initiative
aid ambition and been an instru
ment of oppression. The condi.
lions confronting the Indian under
Indian Bureau control have be.
come intolerable. In my own
tribe the Indian Bureau in its
dealings with the Chippewa peo-
pie has record premeated with
dishonor. We have been deceived
in the negotiation of treaties, the
assent of my people in one instance
being obtained by apparent brib'
cry. We have been deceived in
the execution of treaties.
Scraps Of Paper,
Every treaty made by the Gov
ernment of the United States with
my own tribe has, without single
exception, been regarded only as q
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