Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-20

Of all Indians as wealthy, with oil wells
pouring royalties into their laps until
they scarcely knew what to do about
| their money.
Actually 90 per cent Of the Indians in
this country are pretty nearly destitute.
They are not only poor; they have been
so close to starvation that they suffer
from the diseases to which malnutrition
opens the door. Yet talk about the
wealth which oil has produced for a
small minority of the Indians has COM
pletely blanketed the tragic picture. The
easy oil money made so much better
subject matter not only for fiction, but
for serious articles.
Policy for 100 Years Cited.
Actually, for more than 100 years
since Thomas Jefferson laid down the
doctrine, the avowed policy of this Gov
eminent has been assimilation of the
Indians. Yet always the practical work.
ing of the Indian administration has
been in the opposite direction. Much
has been made of bringing Indian boys
East to Carlisle and taking Indian girls
to other schools, where they were taught
to speak the white mans language and
to follow his customs.
Then they would be sent back to the
reservations. to which in practice the
Indians have been pretty well restricted
The idea was that the young boys and
girls, returned to their relatives and
friends after having been given a dem
onstration of better living conditions
would leaven the whole Indian mass III
practice the extraordinary reverence
traditional. among the Indians for their
elders completely thwarted this hope.
An Indian 60 years of age who Is
asked to do something new or to sell
his land, or whatever it may be. will
father" If the reply of his father is
mo" that settles it. The laws of the
Modes and Persians were not more bind
| ing.
| Up against such tradition and such
practice these returning boys and girls
| who had seen the white mans style of
| living at its best found themselves. Fur
thermore. there was the rather natural
desire Of these authority-clad elders tc
break" the youngsters who had just
come back with lot of new-fangled no.
| tons. So gradually those who had been
lifted up reverted to type.
Progress Shown on Reservation.
One of DR.. Wilbur's aides last year
visited the Sacaton Reservation, in Ari.
IONA. He found that in this small reser-
walton tuberculosis and trachoma had
virtually disappeared, though some years
before when he visited this reservation
they we're distressingly general.
Investigation disclosed the reason.
There had been a cotton development
| nearby, on which the Indians had found
ready employment, and at fair wages
AS result for some years now these
particular Indians had enjoyed plenty
to eat! 1t was as simple as that.
So DR.. Wilbur is determined now 10
put into effect in actually what Thomas
Jefferson proposed century ago. He is
going to start the machinery for the
assimilation of the Indians. The In
dian policy is going to be directed not
| for the rich Usage oil-land-owning In
dams, but for the 80 per cent who are
still destitute, according to last years
figures Of the Institute of Government
Research.
Instead Of making use of charity, even
If the charity comes from this Govern
ment, and disqualification. which every
| congressional investigating committee
has discussed in its report, DR.. Wilbur
| is going to bend the energies of the In
dian Bureau to getting jobs for Indians
He has learned that Indian boys take
| naturally. for example. to mechanics
and particularly to tinkering with auto
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