THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
PAGE 4
MR. CAMP’S TALK
In our last “American” we promised to publish
excerpts in this issue of the splendid talk made in chapel
recently by Mr. Camp, traveling government auditor.
If space permitted we would be pleased to publish the
speech in its entirely, but we are denied this pleasure.
Among other things, Mr. Camp said:
It was just one hundred years ago on the 11th of
last March that the United States Indian Service was
born. Not that there were not Indians before that time,
but it was then that the necessity of establishing an
Indian bureau for handling Indian affairs alone was
realized, and it was one hundred years ago on the 11th
of last March that John C. Calhoun, then the Secretary
of War under the administration of Piesident Monroe,
addressed a communication to Col. Thomas E. Mc
Kenney, an army officer on duty in the department.
The contents of this letter were of vast importance to
the red man, the original and aboriginal inhabitants
of North America.
It was also of great importance to their descendants.
Calhoun’s letter created a Bureau of Indian Affairs
and appointed Col. McKenny as its chief. This was
the first step taken by the government in assuming a
guardianship, or protectorate, over the Indians.
There was not then, nor has there ever been, any con
stitutional requirement compelling the United States to
assume this course. The treaty with Great Britain ac
knowledged the independence of the United States
and surrendered all rights to the country, containing
no provision whatsoever for the native inhabitants.
The action of Secretary Calhoun, therefore, in es
tablishing a Bureau of Indian Affairs was born of a
high moral sense that it was the duty of the American
people to protect and care for the Indians. At that
time the government might have treated the Indians
simply as a conquered race that had been overwhelmed
by the superior arms of the white men and scattered
them to unexplored plains and mountains. It might
have left them to survive or perish. Had this been
done it is perfectly obvious that there would have been
no perplexing Indian problem of today. There would
be no extensive system of government schools for their
education, no hospitals, no agencies and welfare ac
tivities to promote the progress of the red man. The
Indians would not have the protection afforded them
by treaties and acts of Congress. Instead, there would
have been scattered all over the country the remains of
once powerful tribes, helpless, and unprotected from
the unscrupulous.
Instead of this our government assumed the moral
duty of protecting the Indians from such a fate, estab
lished reservations that tribal relations might be pre
served, and schools that the young might be trained in
the civilized way of living with a view to eventually
providing their own livelihood by the methods W’hich
civilized people realized must be followed, as the
buffalo and other wild game would, before many ages
had passed, be driven from the plains and supplanted
by farms and other domestic pursuits; and to event
ually assume his full share in the liberties and respon
sibilities of a civilized nation.
They may have looked at this problem a hundred
years ago from this moral standpoint, or they may have
viewed it from a business standpoint. To keep the
Indian as a class intact and protect the white people
would have required an immense army at a tremendous
expense to the government. It w’ould have meant
gradual annihilation, as the firm progress of civiliza
tion to the westward w’ould require that the Indian
be pressed back until extinction would be inevitable.
Was it not much better, then, that they did what was
actually done—the government assuming the moral
obligation of caring for them, educating them, and
preparing them for citizenship.
Citizenship in its fullest extent was extended to
the Indian people last year when congress granted full
citizenship to your people so that now you are on an
equal footing with any man or woman of the United
States. You have as much right as any man to say
who shall rule and how we shall be ruled. This not
only gives you this privilege, but it also places upon
you your share of responsibilities. There are no priv
ileges given to anyone without responsibilities.
It is very probable that not many years will pass
when Indian reservations and Indian schools will be a
thing of the past. Many of your children will not be
granted the privilege of attending an Indian school.
The present rate of combining agencies and closing
Indian schools indicates to me that this is not far off—
and it is as it should be. With your rights and duties
of citizenship you are absorbing the duties of educa
tion.
Alex Petellin, of the class of ’22, was a recent visi
tor at Chemawa. He now has employment in Portland
and says that he has no complaints to voice on the way
life is treating him. He is the picture of good health,
and what more is necessary?
Mr. Bruce has our thanks for assistance given the
orchestra during our production of the operetta dur
ing “closing week.” He came over from Silverton
every evening and played clarinet during the entertain
ment and proved a valued addition to our orchestra.
Robert Johnson, a graduate of a couple of years ago,
was a guest of Chemawa during the closing week ot
school. He is now following the business of a lather
in San Francisco and declares that he is succeeding
nicely. He has a “bug” of pedigree and motored up
in state, making good time.