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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 1929)
The CHEM AWA AMERICAN Page 2 CHEM AWA^AMERIC AN Published Weekly at the LT. S. Indian School, Chemawa Oregon. Address all communications to Ruthyn Turney, Manager 'U!iiii'iiiiiiniiiiiitniiiiiuiiiiiiinpiiiiiiiniHiiiiimiiti'iiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnn Subscription ------- 50 Cts per Annum LAW AND ORDER ON INDIAN RESERVATIONS (Continued from page 1) lation can be secured and the necessary machinery set up to handle the court business arising on Indian res ervations in the same way as outside the reservation, we believe the Office should revise the old Law and Order regulations so as to inform the Indians and su perintendents what actions of Indians shall be proscrib ed and what punishments provided for violations. At present, the superintendents are expected to maintain law and order on their reservations, but the existing regulations are antiquated and impracticable and the force of officers employed are inadequate and power less, In this connection, we also recommend that as far as practicable, our farmers and other educational or industrial employees be relieved from law enforce ment duties and competent specialists along that line be employed. In so doing, we believe that not only will better law and order conditions be secured, but more progress can be obtained along the educational and industrial lines. Indian Marriages and Divorces We desire to call to your attention the necessity of bringing about the requiring of Indians to conform to the state laws in the matter of marriage and divorce. The present practice of recognizing as valid, what is known as “Indian Custom Marriages” and “Indian Custom Divorces” is working havoc in efforts to con trol the relations between the sexes on the reservations. Very loose relations are recognized as valad “Indian Custom Marriages” and the desertion of one consort or the going to live with another is recognized as an ‘ ‘ Indi an Custom Divorce,” notwithstanding and in spite of the loyalty or wishes of the other side of the marriage broken by such divorce. The result is that when the superintendent advises his Indians to comply with the state law in the matter of marriage and divorce, he is frequently told the Indians don’t have to, and the de cisions of the Department are pointed to as authority. While some of the Indians intending a bona fide marriage comply with his request and obtain a license and marry in due form, those inclined to licentiousness defy the superintendent and “marry” and “divorce” as often as suits their individual desires, and in many cases the worst offenders leave a trail of wronged “wives” and children. Again we are told that legislation is needed to correct this state of affairsand we therefore urge that steps be taken to obtain legis lation which will abolish the recognition of “Indian Custom Marriage” or “Indian Custom Divorce” as far as concerns conduct of Indians taking place after passage of the act. This would not interfere with justice being done in past conduct, but would provide a criterion for the future. This would not interfere with the recognition of “Common Law Marriages” in those states which recognize that class of marriages and it need not interfere with any bona fide Indian ceremo ny of marriage the Indians of any tribe desired to hold. It is almost useless to educate boys and girls and send them back to a life of debauchery on the reservation. In fact, in many cases the very education promotes or facilitates debauchery in those so inclined. Therefore, the cause of educational advancement of the Indian re quires a correction of this great evil. A NEW ORDER OF THINGS The Student Activities Association of Chemawa is likely to prove its worth in more ways than any one can imagine. We cannot spare the space necess ary to print the constitution, but we are going to pub lish the names of the officers. The Superintendent and Faculty Advisory Committee are ex-officio members of the Association, but do not vote. The present active student officers are: James McKay, president; vice-president, Cecile Pep- ion; secretary, Julian Smith; treasurer, Alex Gouley. Battalion officers, gills, Matilda French, major; Lottie Kipp, adjutant; Edna Audrey, adjutant; Cecile Pepion, adjutant. The captains are Frances Tanner, Mary Lohnes, Margaret Bedard, Armenia Pluffe, Lil lian Hayden, Virginia Knight, Emily Selatsee. First lieutenants, Winona Hall, Agnes Scott, Nellie Hughes, Edna French. Second lieutenants, same dormitory, Emma Ella Reynolds, Bessie Scott. First lieutenants, McBride Hall, Amelia Olin, Blanche Vas sar, Rose Pumpkinseed, Irene Diaz; second lieutenants, Serena Twiggs, Ida Pelican, Jane Henry, Hazel Pete, Lois Godowa. Boys’ battalion officers: McNary Hall, James Mc Kay, William Ball, Alex Gouley, Julian Smith, Louis Pariseau, Benny Charlie, Dowd Franklin, Louis Orr. At Brewer Hall, Daniel Lemery, Phillip Baker, Wil liam Brown, Benjamin Ward, John Davis, William C. Govern, Clarence Weaver. At Mitchel} Hall, Clyde Cooley, Frank Johnson and Paul Eagle. We are informed that Peter Rassmussen, one of our graduates of 1927, is now at Monmouth, Oregon, at tending the State Normal School. We are very glad to hear this.
