T H E C H E M A W A A M E R IC A N
THE TRUTH OF TH E MATTER
(C o n tin u e d from pag e 2}
In d ian s in A rizona and N ew M exico, for irrig atio n
purposes and developm ent of dom estic and stock w a t
er, $1,176,146.97.
It was also claim ed th a t th e G ov ern m en t has not
provided the Pueblo In d ian s w ith sufficient w ater for
irrig atio n purposes. T h e records show th a t there is
u n d er ditch in the pueblo co u n try 32,682 acres, w here
as th e Ind ian s cultivated only 17,334 acres of th at i r
rigated land, leaving 15,000 acres not under c u ltiv a
tion. In ad d itio n to pro v id in g irrig atio n system s th e
G overnm ent has co n stru cted , in recent years, 80 wells
to supply th e Pueblo In d ia n s w ith dom estic and stock
w ater, at a cost of about $90,000.
It was contended by th e propagandists th a t but little
m oney was being ap p ro p riated for these In d ian s, but
it was disclosed in th e hearin g s th a t th ere are specific
appropriations for the pueblos for th e fiscal year 1924
am o u n tin g to $86,000, and th a t the G overnm ent e x
pended d u rin g the last fiscal year, $408,761.66, out of
all appropriatio n s for the benefit of th e Pueblo In d ian s.
I t was show n in the hearin gs th a t the Indian Bureau
has caused to be added to th e pueblos of New M exico,
by executive order, d u rin g recent years, a total of
nearly 400,000 acres of land —to be exact, 397,193.27
acres.
I t was also b ro u g h t o u t in the hearings th a t the I n
dian B ureau is responsible for th e legislation contained
in th e New M exico enabling act, w hich protects th e
Pueblo In d ian s and th a t u n d er th a t legislation it will
be im possible for any of th e Pueblo Iu d ian s or th e
pueblos to lose title to any of th e ir lands after the
passage of the N ew M exico enabling act of 1910.
N o tw ith stan d in g the fact th a t th e Pueblo In d ian s
have never ceded to the U nited S tates a single acre of
lan d , and th at the ju risd ic tio n of th e F ederal G o v ern
m ent was som ew hat lim ited, as is show n by th e de
cision of th e S uprem e C o u rt in th e Joseph case (94
U . S. 614), until th e adm ission of th e T errito ry of
N ew M exico into statehood, and th e decision of the
S uprem e C ourt in th e S andoval case (231 U . S. 2 8 ),
it will be seen th a t the G o v ern m en t has been m ak in g
liberal appropriations for m any y ears for th e P ueblo
In d ian s. As show n by th e hearings, th e G o v ern m en t
has provided generously for th e education of the
Pueblo children w ith o u t cost to th e Pueblo In d ian s.
I t has furnished them farm ers and stockm en to e n
courage them in ag ric u ltu re and stock raising; has
provided a num ber of physicians for m edical service,
in addition to providing fo u r su o stan tial hospitals lo
cated am ong the pueblos, all w ith o u t cost to th e I n
dians, as well as fu rn ish in g them w ith irrig atio n sys
tem s on th eir lands. Also, it has m ade surveys for
PA G E 3
fu rth e r im provem ent and extension of irrigation sy s
tem s.
N ow here lias it been show n th a t the G overnm ent or
th e Indian B ureau has been negligent in p ro tectin g
th e interests of these In d ian s and looking after th e ir
w elfare. On the other hand, it appears from the h e a r
in g th at the Pueblo Indians have been treated equally
as well, if not better, than the average In d ian s of the
U nited States, and th at annual ex p en d itu res for th e
Pueblo In d ian s have averaged approxim ately $50 per
capita of g ra tu ity appropriations from the T reasu ry of
th e U nited S tates.
Inasm uch as a recent act of C ongress has g ran ted
to th e S tate of N ew Mexico an additional F ederal
ju d g e , it is believed by your com m ittee th a t if th is
ju d g e could be exclusively assigned to the hearing of
the lan d -title claim s of the Pueblo In d ian s it w ould
not only be the proper but the least expensive and
m ost practical m ethod of relieving the situ a tio n .
LOCAL
C ertain rep orts of local m atters, crow ded out in th is
issue, will appear n e x t w eek.
T h e new dorm icory begins to loom up, as w orkm en
are now laying brick on the second story.
D ouglas Rose, of Pasadena, C alif., a sophom ore at
O. A. C ., is sp ending the E aster holidays as a house
gu est of S upt. and M rs. H all.
H a rry F ro st as a declaim er seems to have taken Che-
m awa by storm . H is effort at chapel S u n d ay n ig h t
was received w ith g reat applause.
T h e pho to g rapher is busy th is week ta k in g some
six ty or m ore views of C hem aw a, p rep arato ry to the
issue of the com bination an n u al and booklet for com
m encem ent tim e.
M r. Bent, disciplinarian, seem s to have gotten a
“ new k ic k ” into our band. Since he took charge
some weeks ago our band has never seem ed to play
w ith so m uch spirit nor so well.
M r. G reene acted very prom ptly on F rid a y to s u p
ply the judges for th e D eclam ation C ontest, d riv in g to
M onm outh, arran g in g for judges, and re tu rn in g all
w ith in two hours. F ast w ork.
An overflow of two or three barrels of fuel oil from
the receiving tan k at the boiler house spread over th e
pond below the barns and m akes an appearance of a
lake of oil. A little oil on th e w ater m akes a big
show ing.
Cecelia S m ith, senior, gave her d em o n stratio n d in
ner last W ednesday evening to six invited guests,
consisting of M r. and M rs. H all, M rs. S herm an, Miss
P eters, Miss W h ite and M rs. B rickell. It was a d e
lig h tfu l d in n e r, splendidly cooked and served. A
week previous A nna Ea R ance, also a senior, gave her
dem onstration, w hich was h ig h ly com plim entary to
h er ability.