The Chemawa American, December 01, 1913, Page 7, Image 7

THE CHEMA WA AMERICAN
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nate artistic feeling, she had developed the art of pottery-making to a
very unusual degree; it was really beautiful pottery. On the walls, as
in most of the houses, were picture-cards and photographs, including
those of her children and grandchildren, singly and grouped with their
schoolmates. Two of her daughters and half a dozen grandchildren
were present, and it was evident that the family life was gentle and at­
tractive. The grandfather wTas not a Christian, but “ he is one of the
best old men I ever knew, and I must say that I admire and owe him
much, if I am a parson,” said Mr. Douglas. The Hopis are monog­
amous, and the women are well treated; the man tills the fields and
weaves, and may often be seen bringing in fire-wood; and the fondness
of both father and mother for their children is very evident.
Many well-informed and well-meaning men are apt to protest against
the effort to keep and develop what is best in the Indian’s own historic
life as incompatible with making him an American citizen, and speak
of those of opposite views as wishing to preserve the Indians only as
National bric-a-brac. This is not so. We believe in fitting him for
citizenship as rapidly as possible. But where he cannot be pushed
ahead rapidly we believe in making progress slowly, and in all cases
where it is possible we hope to keep for him and for us what was best
in his old culture. As eminently practical men as Mr. Frissell, the
head of Hampton Institute (an educational model for white, red, and
black men alike), and Mr. Valentine, the late Commissioner of Indian
Affairs, have agreed with Miss Curtis in drawing up a scheme for the
payment from private sources of a number of high-grade, specially fit­
ted educational experts, whose duty it should be to correlate all the
agencies, public and private, that are working for Indian education,
and also to make this education, not a mechanical impress from with­
out, but a drawing out of the qualities that are within. The Indians
themselves must be used in such education; many of their old men can
speak as sincerely, as fervently, and as eloquently of duty as any white
teacher, and these old men are the very teachers best fitted to perpetu­
ate the Indian poetry and music. I he effort should be to develop the
existing art—whether in silver-making, pottery-making, blanket and
basket weaving, or lace knitting—and not to replace it by servile and
mechanical copying. This is only to apply to the Indian a principle
which ought to be recognized among all our people. A great art
must be liv ing, must spring from the soul of the people; if it represents
merely a copying, an imitation, and if it is confined to a small caste, it
cannot be great.
Of course all Indians should not be forced into the same mold. Some
can be made farmers; others mechanics; yet others have the soul of the
artist. Let us try to give each his chance to develop what is best in