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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 17, 1930)
Page 4 The CHEMAWA AMERICAN ROLLING THE STONES OF SISYPHUS acknowledge no responsibility. Until this disinter on the part of the citizens of the several states is changed to one of active interest and co-oper’ ation, and until the Indian himself shows a greater de sire to improve his condition through his own efforts, the federal Government appears to be doomed for an indefinite season to roll the stones of Sisyphus. (Continued from page 1)__________________ ested attitude 3. All Indian schools and reservations are being required to utilize every acre of available farm land for the production of the things they consume. They are fast becoming object lessons of industry, economy, and self-support. 4. Every effort is being put forth to the end that the Indians shall no longer be altogether consumers but shall become pro ducers, thereby bringing out a corresponding reduction in Congressional appropriations. 5. Through the use of the $600,000 reimbursable appropria tion for the promotion of industry among Indians the Indian Office has been enabled to purchase equipment and establish on a sound and businesslike basis numerous Indian families on farms and through this system of loans promote the financial integrity and prosperity of the Indians participating in this fund. 6. The policy of promoting and developing the livestock in dustry by the purchase of 2,678 stallions, 1,048 bulls, 12,272 heifers, 2,510 steers, 3,738 cows, 2,110 mares, 469 rams, 513 sheep, 670 horses, and 67 mules at an expense of one and a- half million dollars, inaugurated during the year endingjune 30, 1914, has been continued by the expenditure of a similar amount during the year ending June 30, 1915, in the purchase of 3,682 horses and mules, 72 stallions and jacks, 15,804 cows and heifers, 1,194 bulls and considerable number of other mis cellaneous stock. 7. The Indian Office has developed a new type of cotton of the long staple Egyptian variety which has been given the name of “Pima” after the name of the Indian reservation in Arizona on which it was produced. Approximately $1,000,000 will be realized from this production during tie year. 8. The number of acres farmed by the Indians has greatly in creased during the last year, more than three times the amount of seeds having been distributed last spring than ever before. From reading the foregoing one would naturally as sume that the Indian was safely on the road to self- support and independence. But what are the facts? The thousands of cattle, horses and other live stock are nowhere in evidence. The farming imple ments have long since found their repose on the scrap heap. On many reservations the Indians ate heavily in debt and much of their valuable lands has been sold and the proceeds spent. On the whole we are bound to admit that the economic condition of large numbers of Indians is far worse today than it was fif teen years ago. For that matter we might say that farmers the world over are worse off economically to day than they were fifteen years ago. Let us not be too hard on the Indian. As to health and education considerable progress has been made. Many more Indian children are in the public schools, and each year finds more of the young, educated class going out into the world and making their own way. But the fact remains that our industrial programs on the majority of reservations have fallen far short of expectations. The gratuity appropriations for Indians have practically doubled in the past fifteen years, instead of being greatly re duced as was prophesied. Viewing the situation in its broader aspects and looking back over a period of a quarter century and more, we can see much progress. But our moments of discouragement come when we are confronted with the fact that by the great majority of our people the Indian is still looked upon as ar. alien, or as a ward of the Government to whom society at large owes no obligation and for whom the States in which he lives BASKETBALL TEAM WINS OPENER Our basketball team has gotten away to a good start. Last Saturday at McMinnville they defeated the Lin field College freshmen 32 to 26. The first period end ed 10 to 1 in our favor and we managed to hold the same margin of a lead to the close of the half, which ended 17 to 7. The freshmen came back like a flash with the start of the third period and made several longshots from near the center of the floor, which they managed to keep up till the close of the game and with three minutes left to play led our team by a 25 to 21 score. With victory gradually slipping from their grasp and defeat steadily over-coming them our five exhibited one of the first qualities that marks success by refusing to be beaten and staged a rally that put them on top and won a fast and exciting game by a final score of 32 to 26. Leonard Vivette and Dominic Dog Eagle, forwards; Andrew Hatfield, center; Albert Miller and William Jones, guards: were in our starting line-up and with the exception of a change of Perry Smith and Robert Thomas for Dominic at forward the team remained intact and played a pretty good game of basketball both offensively and defensively. For so early in the season they found the basket with consistency. Viv ette was our leading scorer with nine points to his credit; Dog Eagle, eight; Miller, seven; Hatfield, six; Thomas, one, and Jones, one. Thus the team meas ured up pretty well in registering points. Defensive ly they held the freshmen off pretty well, forcing them to resort to hurried or long shots and keeping the road to the basket pretty well closed. Though the outlook was pretty gloomy when suits were first issued there now appears a ray of hope on the horizon and by hard, consistent work, the team should turn in a season’s record that should not be too bad. The first game passed fairly well and showed many possibilities in this respect. Though their work was ragged at different intervals, they also showed that they were not without natural talent and on them we pin much of our hope. It will be interesting to note their progress.
