In 1874 most of the Indians of both tribes lived on the ground, in the
smoke, in their large houses, where several families resided. That year
the agent induced those on the reservation to receive lumber as a part
of their annuity goods, and the government carpenter erected small
frame-houses for most of them, but left them to cover and batten the
houses. They were slow to do so. At first they used them to live in
during the summer, but during the winter they found these houses too
open and cold and returned to their smoke-houses. It was two or three
years before they made them warm enough to winter in them, but since
that time nearly all, except a few of the very old ones, have lived off
of the ground and out of the smoke. Although the government gave no aid
to those living off of the reservation to build them homes, yet about
three fourths of them have built for themselves similar or better
houses. Many of them have lived near saw-mills where they could easily
get lumber for their houses.
All of them dress in citizen’s clothes, and they obtain about three
quarters of their living from civilized labor, and the rest by fishing
and hunting, supposing that hunting and fishing are not civilized
pursuits. Many of them have sewing-machines, bureaus, and lace curtains,
while clocks and watches, chairs, bedsteads, and dishes, tables, knives
and forks are very common.
_Neatness._--It is easier to induce them to have good houses, with board
floors, than to keep them clean. Grease is spilled on the floor, and,
mingling with the dirt, sometimes makes the air very impure. The men are
careless, bring in dirt, and spit on the floor; the women are sometimes
lazy, or else, after trying, become discouraged about keeping the house
clean.
This impure air has been the cause of the death of many of their
children. They breathe the poison, and at last waste away. The older
ones are strong and can endure some of it, and, moreover, are in the
pure air outdoors much of the time. But the little ones are kept in the
house, are so weak that they can not endure such air, and they die. The
old Indian houses on the ground had, at least, two advantages over the
board floors, although they had more disadvantages. The ground absorbed
the grease, as boards can not; and, if the houses became too bad, they
could easily be torn down and moved a few yards away to a better place.
But good houses are too costly for this.
Time, teaching, and example have, however, worked some changes for the
better. There are many of the Indian women who wash, at least, the
floors of their front rooms every week. Still the bedrooms, which are
not likely to be seen, are often topsy-turvy, and the kitchens often
have a bad smell, and the back door needs lime and ammonia.
Occasionally, however, a house is found where there is a fair degree of
neatness all the way through.