Commissioner Sells has made the “gospel of work” the chief aim of his
administration. That is, he has emphasized and encouraged farming and
stock-raising. Before quoting from the Commissioner’s reports and
circulars on this subject, it should not be taken amiss if the statement
is made that during the administrations of Commissioners Morgan and
Jones, this important feature of Indian education was not sufficiently
emphasized. Many of the central, northern and mountain Indians took
naturally to stock-raising. With the care of the horse, they were
familiar. It was but a step from horse-raising to cattle-raising, as has
been illustrated in the case of the Sioux (page 309). Truly, a number of
tribes possessed more cattle a generation ago than at the present time.
From information received, I take it that under the administrations of
Messrs. Leupp and Valentine, a serious effort was made to encourage
farming and stock-raising, on a larger scale. While this new movement
may have been inaugurated by either Mr. Leupp or Mr. Valentine, when Mr.
Abbott became acting Commissioner, he encouraged and expanded efforts in
this direction. Orders were issued to Superintendents, giving greater
discretion in supervising individual Indian moneys; the leasing policy
was simplified and self-supporting Indians permitted to lease their
surplus lands and to a greater extent handle their own funds; a higher
standard with larger salary was established for the Indian Service
farmer, who was expected to do house to house work among the Indians
under his supervision, giving practical advice and securing definite
results in the way of increased production from Indian land; active
cooperation between the Bureaus of Plant and Animal Industry of the
Department of Agriculture was promoted; the Civil Service Commission
provided tests for farmers intended to secure men with more experience
and practical equipment, and the United States was divided into four
Civil Service districts in order that eligible farmers might be secured
for that part of the Indian country where their farming experience had
been obtained. The possibilities of the working out of this policy in
all its phases was demonstrated particularly on the Winnebago
reservation in Nebraska, where in three years while Albert H. Kneale was
Superintendent, this tribe of Indians was practically transformed into
one of the most sober and industrious groups of Indians to be found on
any allotted Indian reservation in the United States. From 3000 acres of
Indian-farmed land, in the first year, under the new program, which gave
the Superintendent freedom to act without discouraging delays in
Washington, there were 12,000 acres farmed by Indians at the end of
three years, and so many of the Indians had moved to their allotments
that the Dutch Reformed Church had to build a new church and locate an
additional missionary out in the heart of the reservation in order to
reach its Indian adherents.
With the advent of Mr. Sells, as has been stated, the Department
realized that if the Indian is to be saved, much more should be done
than the mere issuance of instructions to Superintendents. Assistant
Commissioner, Edgar B. Meritt has, the past few years, been very active
in advocating reimbursable appropriations for Indians in order that they
might purchase live stock and farming implements to improve their large
areas of agricultural lands.
Mr. Sells’ official instructions, under date of September 2, 1914, to
all Superintendents are as follows:—
“I am not satisfied that we are making the greatest use of our school
farms. They usually consist of large tracts of fertile land capable of
raising every crop that the climate in which the school is located will
permit. In some cases these farms are well irrigated.
“In every case the schools have been or can be furnished with all the
equipment necessary to till their farms to the fullest extent, and they
can be furnished with stock with which to make a substantial showing in
stock-raising.
“The agricultural training of the boy pupils in our schools furnishes
ample opportunity for intensive farming. If this training is to be of
real value and be effective in accomplishing its purpose, the farming
operations should be financially successful and at the same time
conducted in accordance with modern methods.
“I am convinced that there is a large field for improvement in the
handling of these farms, and I want every field officer who has charge
of such a farm to see that its management is of such a nature as will
insure its development to the highest degree of productiveness,
practical usefulness and object lesson.
“The constantly increasing demands on the various appropriations for the
Indian Service make it necessary not only to exercise the most careful
economy consistent with the end sought, but at the same time to see that
every resource in connection with Indian education and industry is
developed to the highest obtainable degree.
“See that employees in charge of your farms are men capable of rendering
proper and efficient service, carefully determine the suitable crops for
the particular soil of the tillable land of your farm, giving the best
attention to the raising and use of these crops.
“Our farms should grow corn, oats, wheat, and raise alfalfa, clover,
timothy, etc. You should raise all the potatoes and other vegetables
consumed. We should not be satisfied with raising feed for the school
livestock, but we should raise everything the farm, garden and orchard
will produce.
“I want you to raise livestock to the fullest of your capacity; raise
colts from the school mares; let your calves grow into beef for your
school. Grow a good herd of hogs to follow the cattle that you feed and
use the waste from the table at the school. Make your dairy amply large
and of such kind that there will be plenty of milk, cream and butter.
Feed the skim-milk to the hogs and grow your pork meat. Where
practicable cure your own bacon and ham, make your own sausage and dry
and corn your own beef.”
There is more, but this will indicate the earnest effort of the
Commissioner to improve conditions.
In recent years, Indian fairs have become very popular, and are held on
most reservations, or at schools. The old “Wild West” feature has been
eliminated. At Red Lake, Minn., September 19th, 1914, the Ojibwa fair
was attended by 2000 persons. The published account in the _New York
World_ stated:—
“Exhibits of grain grown by the Indians included specimens of oats,
barley and wheat that would average twenty-five bushels to the acre, and
yellow dent corn fully matured.
“What was perhaps next in importance was the stock display, which
included blooded animals, the registered Holstein and Durham cattle
being most numerous. The judging of the stock was done by Supt. C. G.
Selvig, of the Crookston School.
“There was also a fine display of vegetables and fruit, all of which
were raised by the Indians. The exhibits included cantaloupes and
sugar-sweet watermelons. There were also crab apples and displays of
other apples and fruits.
“The women and girls had exhibits of bread, pies, cakes, jellies,
preserves, pickles, and other dainties. But probably the most artistic
and beautiful display ever seen at a county fair was found in the
display of beaded work. These exhibits not only were done neatly, but
the beaded designs and colorings were gorgeous. The exhibit included
among other things head dress, sacques, moccasins, dresses, belts, hat
bands, banners, buckskin leggings, and jackets. All were new, having
been made by the Chippewas the past year for display at the fair.
[Illustration:
LEUPP HALL—STUDENTS’ DINING ROOM
Domestic Science, Bakery, Domestic Art, etc., Chilocco Indian School,
Oklahoma.
]
“There was no disorder nor intoxication.”
Commissioner Sells seized upon the fair proposition as a means of
extending industry. A portion of his sensible address to Superintendents
is:—
“You should now be arranging for your Indian fair, and I desire to
impress upon you my idea of the purpose and possibilities of these
exhibitions.
“I want these fairs so conducted as to open to the Indians the vision of
the industrial achievements to which they should aspire. I want them to
be an inspiration in arousing in the Indian a clear appreciation of the
great opportunity before him for real industrial advancement.
“The ownership of land always has been and always must be the principal
basis of man’s wealth. A wise development of the vast natural resources
of the Indian reservations has tremendous possibilities. The Indian’s
rich agricultural lands, his vast areas of grass land, his great forests
and his practically untouched mineral resources should be so utilized as
to become a powerful instrument for his civilization.
“I hold it to be an economic and social crime, in this age and under
modern conditions, to permit thousands of acres of fertile lands
belonging to the Indians and capable of great industrial development to
lie in unproductive idleness.
“With keen appreciation of these conditions Congress in the current
appropriation bill has made available for the Indians over $600,000 as a
reimbursable fund, and $250,000 additional for general and specific
industrial use, all for the purchase of stock and farm equipment, as
well as about $800,000 of the funds of the Confederated Bands of Utes
for the civilization and support of those Indians.
“I feel that a serious obligation rests upon me and upon every employee
of the Indian Service to see that no effort is spared to make the most
of the great opportunity which the Indian’s property and the action of
Congress now presents to the Indian. It is my duty to require that every
supervising officer, every Superintendent, every farmer, every stockman,
and in fact every employee of the Indian Service meets this obligation
in full measure.
“The political conditions of the world will make the next few years a
period of great prosperity for the American farmer. Let us see that the
Indian with his broad acres is in truth an American farmer and that he
properly participates in this unusual opportunity.
“I desire that our Indian fairs this year be made the opening of an
intelligent and determined campaign for the industrial advancement of
the Indian. Let this year’s fair mark the start of the Indian along the
road, the purpose of which is self-support and independence—hereafter
let your fair each year be a milestone fixing the stages of the Indian’s
progress toward that goal.
“It is the primary duty of all Superintendents to understand the Indians
under their charge, to study the resources of the reservation for which
they are responsible, its climate, the character of its land, the type
of cattle owned by the Indians, their horses, their sheep and their
other stock.
* * * * *
[Illustration:
INDIANS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION IN PLUMBING. HASKELL INSTITUTE, KANSAS
]
“Former widespread negligence and mismanagement in the cultivation of
the soil, the breeding of stock, and the handling of grazing land is no
excuse for the continuance of such conditions, and they will not be
permitted to exist on an Indian reservation during my administration.
“Be continually at the fair yourself with your farmers and all of your
industrial employees.
“Let the exhibits emphasize in an impressive manner the difference
between inferior and high-grade agricultural products, and let them
demonstrate in no uncertain way that greater profit results from raising
the best and the most of everything produced on the farm or ranch.
Encourage the Indian to take the progressive view. This should not be
difficult where he has before him a clear object lesson such as is
emphasized by placing his horses, cattle and sheep, his corn, oats,
wheat, alfalfa and forage on exhibition in legitimate rivalry with those
of his neighbor at the Indian fair.
[Illustration:
NAVAHO SUMMER HOGAN
From G. W. James’ “Indian Blankets and their Makers”
]
“The improvement of stock should be aggressively advocated and impressed
upon the mind of every Indian farmer and stock-raiser. He should be
brought to understand that the thousands of well-bred bulls, stallions
and rams were purchased during the last few months to do away with the
evils of lack of sufficient and well-bred male stock and the inbreeding
almost universal in the past. He should understand that in order to
secure the best results the male stock must not only be improved but
that the old and worse than useless male animals which have heretofore
been so destructive to the Indian’s success as a stock-raiser must be
disposed of.”
* * * * *
The Carlisle school farms this summer were quite prosperous, as were
farms at all the educational centers. _The Carlisle Arrow_ of September
4th, says:—
THE FIRST FARM
“The forty-eight cows and the six head of young cattle are in fine
condition, as are also 70 hogs, averaging 125 pounds; 30 shoats,
averaging 30 pounds; 22 small pigs, and 12 brood sows.
“The average amount of milk produced during the summer months was
eighty gallons a day, and butter, eighty pounds a week.
“There is material for hundreds of tons of ensilage.”
* * * * *
THE SECOND FARM
“The wheat and oats were unusually good and the yield was abundant.
There are thirty acres of fine potatoes. The large flocks of turkeys
and chickens are thriving. The number of eggs gathered have kept the
hospital well supplied throughout the summer.”
* * * * *
“The school garden crop exceeds, in quantity of production, any on
record. The farms also have yielded abundantly, making this a
record-breaking year for Carlisle in the fruition of agricultural
products.”
* * * * *
The Indian fairs, now so popular on many reservations, will play no
small part in solving the Indian problem. It does not matter which one
of the Commissioners inaugurated this most excellent incentive to work
and progress. Whoever was responsible for it, hit upon a most happy
expedient. Manifestly, the Indians should be encouraged to continue
these fairs and to engage in honest competition. Everyone will heartily
approve of the scheme to abandon, or curtail, the “Wild West” feature—of
which we have had entirely too much the past thirty years.
A few years ago, Indian farms, formerly under cultivation, had grown up
to bushes in Minnesota and Oklahoma. If the plans of the Indian Office,
as outlined above, are carried to a successful termination, most of
these tracts will again come under cultivation. The Indian will feel
encouraged to labor, especially so since the fruits of his toil will
accrue to him rather than to the white man. The reimbursable
appropriations and the encouragement of industry are two of the most
hopeful signs of Indian progress.