Evening star., 1928-05-24

/ NOMINATION. 10 the pIeSlufIICy vi iLlC
United States. is often spoken of as
being 1f Indian blood but 1t is declared
at the Indian Bureau that he Is only
one ne-thirty-second Indian. Being a
sef-made success. he cannot be very
good" Injun. under the Interpretation
often quoted that there are no good
Injuns" except dead ones, for Senator
Curtis Is very much alive. He Is Kaw,
or one e-thirty-second kaw.
Senator Robert l.. Owen OF Oklahoma
Is also part Indian. but the greater part
Scotch He was elected Senator
by the unanimous vote of the Oklahoma
Legislature He Is Cherokee. Repre-
sentatives William w. Hastings and
Charles D. Carter are Cherokee and
Chickasaw Indians. The late Matthew
Stanley Quay. the political boss of
Pennsylvania, who died In 1911, was an
Abnaki Indian. Gen. Eli Samuel
Parker a Seneca, was son OF the chief
and grandson OF the celebrated Red
Jacket, he was member OF Gen
Grants staff in the Civil War. and as
such he engroSsed the articles OF sur
render signed by Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Many other Indians might be cited
who have distinguished themselves by
their mentality and successful ambl-
ton. So who dare say that the racial
dependence In general Is proof that the
Indian cannot be elevated into self
reliance and civilization?
-
Nevertheless, the American Govern
ment has been attempting that feat
of elevating the Indian Tor a century
and half. while today we are still
obliged to protect our wards as il they
were imbeciles. Beginning with the
study OF Indians as far bach as 1859,
we have not even been able To count
them with any degree of accuracy. The
number estimated In 1850 was i9.5On,
and up to 1880 the highest estimate
was 10000. The next "census"~-~a mere
gileSs-~was In 1920. which put the
number at All 900. but Ave years later
the Secretary of War guessed 1870 600,
ranged about 100000. since 1888. about
100000.
Naturally new generations of Indians
come into the world even more often
than OF whites. owing 10 their shorter
life-expectancy hence there Is new
responsibility and opportunity TO ed
ucate the newly born papooScs. every
year II Is alleged. however, that not
until Is or 20 years ago was the work
OF educating them really begun. II Is
predicted officially, that within the
next 20 years the Indians, through
education. win actually become self
sustaining,
They have made good progress In
recent years Today they own live
stock and poultry valued at 0000,-
900 There are n 500 Indians farming
6l0 500 acres and 81 721 who are using
20 423 1872 acres for live stock raising
The Indians own $ia0000 900 worth OF
timber and many million dollars worth
of oil wells,
Yet the Indians seem to be going
into extinction through disease. even
while under the paternal care of this
enlightened Government Their diet
Is found deficient In preventive con-
stituents TO strengthen them against
tuberculosis and traehoma-~~ overloaded
with meats and stafehy foods badly
cooked
Former policies of pauperl9ation by
giving them rations and no incentive
to work have been abandoned, aud
instead they are being taught the
modern principles OF agriculture and
trained IN industrial pursuits. The in~
dian Bureau is nov conducting for It's
wards one 0f the most efficient school
aystems In the world. and 1t Is con-
tidently predicted that the onComing
generation VIII develop INTO sell vatla~
tainng and intelligent workers,
There is not unlimited optimism In
that regard. inspired by observation ot
present conditions IN Indian homes,
The old tribal organization has been
largely wiped out, but as yet the ma
tnred Indians have not taken on the
American white mans home and family
relations. Part al this h attributed 10
the very effort of the Indian Bureau
10 saws the youth hy taking young
boys and girls out nt their homes 10
spend years IN boarding schools, When
they graduate and return % the "hlann
ket Indiana" they are ashamed OF
their harharous parents, and the par
ents resent the lnplshneas of their ed
neated children This constitutes one
nf the most difiicult problems how to
plviliEa the next generation without
cruelty To The present narentA
tpepluaht, lvah bl Paul V. Gellias,l