OCR Text |
Show in it. There are other evils besides the ration system to he overcome, which have been described at some length in previous reports. So long a6: these exist they will be a menace to success. It will take time to eradicate them. But, while progress may be slow, it is a gratifica-tion to know that a step has been taken in the right direction. The "short-hair" order.-During the progress of the change in policy an incident, occurred which is only noticed now because of the importance attached to it at the time by the public and because it ,, affords a striking illustration of what great matter a little fire kindleth. About the time the orders were issuedto cut off rations and pay the I Indians for labor instead, the O5ce, realizing that the Indians could not , eontinue to observe some savage customs and be indust~ioust,o o, called agents' attention to these custom8 in a letter and urged that they be discouraged. The letter became public and the effect was immense. , For a while it was the talk of the town. No o5cial notice of it was taken at the time, hut that the O5ce was not altogether indifferent the following letter will show: .. DEPARTMEONFT T KE INTERIOR, OWICEO F INDIAANFP .<IRS, Washington, Fe6nury 19, 1909. Dsan Ma. Secnm~nu: Some references of yours in a recent convereation affords me an opportunity, of which I avail myself, to offer some expressions upon a matter which hse occupied the puhlie mind for some little time past. Altbough compara-tively trivial in my estimation it seems the entire press of the country considered it - otherwise, for it has thought it important enough to give it e3tended notice and make it the subject of unfavorable comment on the one hand, and some wit and much good-natured badinape on the other: the latter, according to my observation, largely predoyinating. Indeed, the principal object of the papers seems to hwe been to get out of it all the fun they could. And it must be admitted they haye I succeeded very well. With all of this I find not the least fault. But now that the excitement has subsided and we have had our laugh, let 11s put on a sober face and indulge in a reflection or two on the serious side. The innocent cause of all this agitation was a letter written by this office in the usual course of business to agents having charge of Indian tribes, in the latterpart of December last and the early part of January. Here it is: I ' SIR: ~ h i oan ice desires to -11 sour attention to B few custom among the ~ n d i a ~whs i ch i t is r 1,eIivved 8l$otxldI ,? n ~ d i f l e du r d i ~ v o n t ~ n 8 1 ~ ~ ~ Ti l ewennnv~flo ng hnar u)' lit? innl~p. <p uldtic,~.o f gouragcll~pis n,t 11. keying nilh the .~i r rnce. nt*l>t 111 .\ an. makm-~. o.r w l l l ~ t l~he. e~r~oe r td u, imxke. nnr~r>l lzat~on~. h ~ r~ a c r-n olf :r hon hair ~~~ ~ by the males will be a meat step in advenee, and will oe*tainl$ hasten their progress towa~d civlli- ~ ~ z~ttioll. The returned malcrultlenr far to" fnqucnlls Goes bnck to the resemallon ancl ialls mu, the s,111 ~.111)111 of letting his halrgruw long Uealso1ai!8ls pmfnwlynm ac1ol.w nll the o!d hshrlsnnd C U I I C w~ h~ic~h lhtr rdllrallnn in our iladustr.n. S P ~ L U I Ih 8.3 l&%li ( 3 rrudi..at~. The fault doe~r )rot li,.~ ~ ~ so much with the sehnls as with the conditions found on the reservations. Theso conditions =re very often due to the policy of the Government toward the Indian, 8nd are often peipetuated by the v agent.8 not caring to take the initiative in fastening any new polioy on his adminiatrationot the affairs of the aeencu. On many of ibc r&lvatioes the Indiana of both sexes paint, clsiming that it keeps the skin w m in winterand cool in summer, but lostead thia paint melts when the Indian per~pireaa nd runs down ~ l l l c ,l lle eyrr. The use of thLs p i n t Ikads lu ma18). drseawa of the eyra smong chrw lndianu who wlnl Pc.rinn8 wh.8 have gi\e!l rul~ridernll e thought and illve9lip~tionl o the suIljeet are 11atist;~vl that th19 vUIlDm L.RUWS the majority 01 lheraecs '1 blindlmvbsoldnd tlas Inclisn9of the VntW Platoa |