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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.