Evening star., 1928-06-17
j. S. WORKERS HAVE.
INDIAN ANCESTORS.
Seven Employees of interior
Department Trace Lineage
to First Americans.

Sons and daughters Of the Indians
OF several tribes that roamed the broad
expanse of this continent before the
Stars and Stripes were fashioned are
part of the white mans government in
Washington. working as Uncl Sans en-
ployes-figuring out increases under the
WEIGH act along with Government en-
ployes whose foreSsars came from
central Europe. There are seven per-
sons Of Indian blood working in the
Interior Department. and 1t is logical
that the Bureau OF Indian Affairs,
which has a wardship over the first
Americans. should have most of them.
Mrs Marie L. B. Baldwin is the vet
eran Government cmploye among the
Indian women. She has been in the
Government service for q quarter Of a
century. "a years in Washington. Her
Official position is senior clerk III the
purchase division of the Bureau of In
dian Affairs, and when the division dealt
with transportation matters, she be-
came an expert in rate fixing and rout-
Ing Of goods to the Indian reservations.
This section has since been abolished.
Born in North Dakota.
Mrs. Baldwin is 64 years old and was
born in Pembina. n Oak. just across
the Minnesota state line. Her grand
father was Pierre Bottineau. one Of the
early Huguenots who came to this coun-
try, and was associated with Peter
Faneuii builder OF the famous hall in
~ nsal =
the Cradle of Liberty" Her grand
father was with the Lewis and Clarke
expedition and was active as a scout.
Her maternal grandfather. Francois
Renville. likewise accompanied Faneuil
and Bottineau.
In her present job of aiding in the
purchase of supplies for the entire In
dian service, Mrs. Baldwin has labored
with many of the same colleagues fcr
nearly 25 years. She is a member OF
the Chippewa tribe, the former Ojib-
way tribe. which was too difficult for
white men to pronounce and recall SO
1t has become Chippewa"
She was carried as a ''papoose" on
her mothers back, but she had a sis
ter that was rocked in regular cradle.
Her father was never permitted TO play
with white children when he was
growing up.
Mrs. Baldwin and her sisters were
never allowed to go to Indian schools,
but attended the district. public and
private schools In Minnesota. She
started school in Bottineau Prairie,
which was named after her grand
father. This place is now called Osseo.
Although some Of her forhears were
French Huguenots. Mrs. Baldwin ex-
plained. when they came TO the north
trn Middle West and saw the work Of
the Jesuit Fathers among the Indians
they became Catholics. and members of
both families are now Of that faith.
Archbishop Ireland's sister was the
mother superior of the convent. ST.
Jossph's Academy In st. Paul, where
Mrs. Baldwin was educated
Admires Modern Styles.
Coming to Washington Mrs. Baldwin
attended the Washington College Of
Law and obtained her bachelor OF Law
degree and later secured her master Of
Law. She took up painting and was
awarded first premium In oil painting
and third premium or a collection at
the Minnesota State Fair In 1896 She
uyed To BE- proficient in handmade lace
Eork. bat says that there Is little call
for that now. She can play the piano
and sing and Is particularly fond ct
reading books Of travel.
This veteran Indian woman turned
her attention for a space 10 the styles
OF today and declared that present
styles are wonderful and so sensible"
Size adnireE the modern coiors and re-
marks that IL Is only extremes that
make the styles ridiculous"
Once, Mrs. Baldwin recalls, she trav-
ele6 by canoe from Winnipeg. through
the Red River TO Breckenridge. MINI.
Stressing the great opportunities for
learning. particularly In Washington.
~ years OLD when she took up the
study Of Law and declared that this
right prove an incentive for these
Win think they we're undeTpr.v!Icgcd
IN fsge matter 0f education.
Aro'hey veteran InGian In the Bureau
Of Indian Affairs Is James w. Plake. a
o-e-sizteenth Delaware Indian Of the
ffunsee branch. who from a casual
glance appears as a full-blooded white
man He Is chief Of the accounts and
claims section of the Indian once and
has been In Washington since 1905.
with 30 years Government service 10 his
credit.
Other Descendants Of Indians.
Sprung from the wolf clan Of the
Delawares. Mr.. Piake was born in
eastern Kansas and studied at Has,
keu Institute, al Lawrence. Ksns. For
s~Tfr years ne was I'm the indian field
service In South Dakota among the
Giouz and al the norl~YeServation In
ctan school At Genoa, Nebr
AES. Charlotte b. Orozco lis q ste
nozTapfer and typist in the Bureau Of
Education She was nine years in the
Indian Office here and is o member Of
the Chippewa tribe from Wisconsin. Che
attended HASKELL Institute and is one
~ the most beautiful OF the Indians
yryk3nG IN the department.
hrs Orczcos husband is Of Span
IN extraction. He is nov on duty In
the State DEPARTMENT. He is a grad
nate of thf Foreign Service School Of
EeoFgetO9n.
Archie N, Pi1inney, a clerk In the In
Clan Once, ss . member Of the Rez
Perez tribe Of Northern Idaho and has
b@@D IN the department. for two years
Es graduated from the University of
KanEss IN 1926 With tEle degree Of bach
sior Of arts and has done graduate work
~ George Washington University TO-
TSg6 hs2 masters degree ~ evening
sefsc3 Mr. Piginney liz active in the
tSYf sSFtt| UNygrU9T}e1 IN WAStI1UKUyft
IND i1ss iectDFed IN yagiOla other ejtieG
so3ceYnirl2 Scout affairs. His talks
fsge concerned Indian lore.
Miss Margaret CssBell member of
ms Chippewa tribe. whose mother is
~ Cfaeidz. h a saEnOgfzgi1er in the
Indian Once and mas been two years
IN WashingtoD Miss Casewell attGf.6~
81 the Cass Iaks High Eci1oOl In Min
nfs'6s, and was the only Indian girl
IN heY class she learned stenograDhy
snc gyab9ats1 with second honors In