OF THE NUMBERS, LOCATION, AND SOCIAL, AND
INDUSTRIAL CONDITION OF EACH IMPORTANT
TRIBE AND BAND OF INDIANS
WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.
[From the report of Francis A. Walker, U. S. Commissioner of Indian
Affairs, for the year 1872.]
The Indians within the limits of the United States, exclusive of those
in Alaska, number, approximately, 300,000.
(_a_) They may be divided, according to their geographical location or
range, into five grand divisions, as follows: in Minnesota, and States
east of the Mississippi River, about 32,500; in Nebraska, Kansas, and
the Indian Territory, 70,650; in the Territories of Dakota, Montana,
Wyoming, and Idaho, 65,000; in Nevada, and the Territories of Colorado,
New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona, 84,000; and on the Pacific slope,
48,000.
(_b_) In respect to the three lines of railroads--built or
projected--between the States and the Pacific Ocean, viz., the northern,
central, and southern routes, they may be divided, excluding those
residing east of Minnesota and of the Missouri River south of Dakota, as
follows: between the proposed northern route and the British
Possessions, about 36,000; between the northern and central routes,
92,000; between the central and the proposed southern routes, 61,000;
and between the southern route and Mexico, 85,000: making a total of
274,000.
(_c_) As regards their means of support and methods of subsistence, they
may be divided as follows: those who support themselves upon their own
reservations, receiving nothing from the government except interest on
their own moneys, or annuities granted them in consideration of the
cession of their lands to the United States, number about 130,000; those
who are entirely subsisted by the government, about 31,000; those in
part subsisted, 84,000,--together about 115,000; those who subsist by
hunting and fishing, upon roots, nuts, berries, &c., or by begging and
stealing, about 55,000.
(_d_) They may be divided again, with respect to their connection with
the government, as follows: there are about 150,000 who may be said to
remain constantly upon their reservations, and are under the complete
control of agents appointed by the government; 95,000 who at times visit
their agencies either for food or for gossip, or for both, but are
generally roaming either on or off their reservations, engaged in
hunting or fishing; and 55,000 who never visit an agency, and over whom
the government as yet exercises practically no control, but most of whom
are inoffensive, and commit no acts of hostility against the government.
(_e_) Again: it may be said, that, of the 300,000 Indians of the
country, about 180,000 have treaties with the government; 40,000 have no
treaties with the United States, but have reservations set apart by
executive order or otherwise for their occupancy, and are in charge of
agents appointed by the government; 25,000 have no reservations, but are
more or less under the control of agents appointed for them, and receive
more or less assistance from the government; the remainder consisting of
the same 55,000 already twice described, over whom the government
exercises, practically, no control, and for whom there are no treaty or
other provisions.
(_f_) As to civilization, they may, though with no great degree of
assurance, be divided, according to a standard taken with reasonable
reference to what might fairly be expected of a race with such
antecedents and traditions, as follows: civilized, 97,000;
semi-civilized, 125,000; wholly barbarous, 78,000.