CHEMAWA AMERICAN.
MEETING OF THE BIG CHIEFS.
Commissioner Jones Speaks of
the Obstacle in The Work
Of Reform.
Col. Vra.it advocates abolishing all
Indian Schools
LAKE MOHONK, N. Y., Oct. IS. Wil
liam A, Jones, Commissioner of Indian
Affairs, was the principal speaker at the
evening session of the Indian conference.
He said that the most importantstep taken
by his department during the year was
securing the record of Iudian births, mar
riages and deaths. Iu working for Indiau
reform grave obstacles were encountered.
The Indiscriminate issue of rations, unwise
s appropriation 'of money, and the leasing of
allotment. were some of the obstacles. An-
other grave obstacle was the educational
policy which prevailed. Not earning their ,
education, in too many cases they failed to
appreciate it. The Indians weie hardly
more self-reliant than they were a quarter
of a century ago. The time has come to
make a vigorous move to end such guardian
ship and to throw the Indians on their own
resources.
Other speakers of the evening were Gen
eral Whittlesey, of Washington, who pre
sented an abstract of the forthcoming an
nual report of the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs; Congressman James S. Sherman,
chairman of the committee on Iudian af
fairs, and Captain Pratt, of the Carlisle In
dian School, the latter saying he was in
favor of doing away with Indian schools,
including the one at Carlisle, at an early
day. Ex.
-Once a year the big chiefs of the Indian
Service meet in couuHel at Lake Mohonk,
New York, at the beautiful mountain home
of Mr. Smiley who entertains them in
royal style, while they deliberate on the
past, present, and futre condition of Poor
Lo.
The guns of civilization have been shel
ling the Red Men with hot industiial shots
for another year, and a court of inquiry
is necessary to decide the questions, - what
has been done, what are we doing, and what
shall we do? Some of the chiefs claim, that
there is a defect in the kind of weapons
used. Others assert that the Carlisle Gat
ling or rapid firing gun'does more harm
than go j l, and crams the Indian with too
much civilization before he' is able to un
derstand or digest it, while others argue
for the continuance of the good old fash
ioned squirrel musket as a slow and
eur.e way of killing the Indian.
Some suggest the use of smokeless and
noiseless powder, believing there is a great
deal too much smoke and noise in this
grout work of Indian education. So much
so that the Indian himself is often lost"
sight of in the midst of the battle,.
On the whole the proceedings -of the
meeting will afford the friends of Indian
education much pleasure to note that
great progress and many refo rms have been
made duung the,past few years, notwith
standing some very discouraging features
which are hard to overcome. JM uch stress
was placed on the importance of more work
and less books in. the schools, and attention
was directed to the fact that the Indian ,
youth needed to learn a good trade thor
oughly and have it backed up with a com
mon school education much more than
to master latin, algebra, geometry and
the higher studies.
There are great many white people iu this
world who do not appreciate the comforts
and privileges which they enjoy. The In
dian should not be censured too severely
for failing to appreciate what the Govern
ment is doing for him. Schools and educa
tion have been dished out to him for years
without his even asking for them, and he
has been forced to take them not apprecia
ting their value or Uncle Sam for his
great kindness.
When Indian schools are closed, as sug
gested by Col. Pratt, probably those Indians
Mho are ungrateful will come to their
senses and then realize what they have miss
ed and lost. It is but right to say, however,
that there are a large number of Indhius
who do appreciate schools and education,
who improve their opportunities in every
' way possible.
; We will suggest that before the Indian
Schools cau be abolished the whites of our