OCR Text |
Show again comes before the Secretary for eonaideration. I refer to theinormsing demand for Indians far show pnrposea. Haying been for some years at this agenoy, from whioh the Wild West show has recruited it8 Indians annnslly, I am in s, position to judge of the affects of using them for exhihitionpnrpoaes. It is claimed hy those desiring to employ these Indian0 that the opportunities afforded them to seewhat white menhave done and are doing, torealize the resoorcesof the country, both innumbers andin wdth,would educate the Indian and deter him from outbreaks, and that seeing tha manner in which the whites lived, wonld stimulate him to adopt civilized modes of living. To s, limited extent this may have once been true, but ie no longer so. Ten or more years of suche-o in-e abont in dl the cities of this country and many of those in Euron.e .. together vith numerous visita of delegations to Washington, and conatant inter. course with neighborinr towns, leave little either of good or hadconnected with the whites for the indians-(st leaat of this reservation) to learn. The sreument has therefore lost any forreit !nay once have had. 111 yoin1 offxrr, Indianaarenot. desired by tho show people fur any pnrpase hut as an attraction, something ru stimulate attendance and lure more halfdollsrs into the treasmy, Now. neoole will not he curious to see civilized Indian-those whom. at ereat . A - , - expense, the Qovernment has educated and to some extent civilized. None suoh are wanted, bnt only those who are yet distinctively b~rhs ronao r who can pose as such. A11 others ere unwelcome and are denied employment. The result ia a premium upon berbari.rism. It is in effect Baying to the Indian: "If yon retain purely Indian eustams-remain a savage, with all the gaud of feathers, naked bodies, hideous dancing, alld other evidences of savsgery-we want yon; and should you have or can procure s, dress trimmed with soalplps, we want you verg muoh and will p v SOU ecoordingly." The Indian is thus taught that savagery has a market value and is worth retaining. The boys in the day schools know it, and speak longingly of the time when they will no longer be required to attend school, hut oan let their hair grow long, dance Omaha, and go off with shows. The influence of this sort of thing is far-reaohing and seriously retards progress. In the interest of the Indians, whom we are striving to elevate, the Government shonld not longer permit these exhibitions of that which it is trying at 80 much exo.e nse to BuoDreEs. h. These shows are not instructive or beneficial to the whites, conveying aa they do wrong ideaa snd impressions regarding the Indians and leading many of them to thinkthat all ~n~ndiadasre snoh as theviee bron-e ht ont a t shows: sooh exhibitiana have no higher effeot than ministering to a morbid ourioait,~u nworthy of civilzzed human beings. People go to seenaked painted Indians from quite the same motives aa they do to see freaksza two-heeded girl or a six-legged call; but I maintain thst no good is subserved, whether the exhibition is labeled an "Indian Congress" or a "Wild West Show," hot that, on the contrazy, the result ia harmful to both whites snd Indiana-to the latter because by suoh means their civilization is retarded and the efforts made far their advsnoement become s, mockery. The plssdings of mis-sionaries and the zeal of those engaged in teaching are alike fntile smong all those Indians who under Government sanction are taught thst continued bsrharism is perhaps after all the best thing for them. Then a.1~0 the moral effect upon,those Indians who are taken to exhibitions, of whatever sort. is far from e-o od. In the e-r eed for uatronse-e and eain all aorts of things are permitted and encouraged which ordinarily would be suppressed by the ~olics. Not one of these expositions is now complete without its ''midway," made i n of scandalous and aueeeitivelv immoral ahoGs for the most D& and disienedlv u- - " pendoring to the lowest psseiona. The moral atmosphere about these pliloes is fetid and impure. Indians employed at them have much idle tirne and, like all others, are free to see dl that is to be seen. It is folly to suppose that they do not take advantage of their opportunities. 'The season over, during which the car lines and the merchants have been enriabed and the city boomed, poor Lo come? back to his |