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Show REPORT OF SUPERIHTENDENT OF INDIAN SCHOOLS. 339 make such trsnrifer. In this connection I ampleased tonota that Corn. missioner Edw. P. Smith in his annual report for 1875 stroi~glyre com-mends the policy of transferring Indians to the respective States. He says, among other things: The thoory of Indian sovereignty baa pructirnil.~p lnred the Indians at a disnd-rsntngu in thuir rolxriona te tlla aever. 1 Brutce where tlloy are ti~ond. lie in^ he14 I,v tho 6t;m anthoritiesto Ibo neither citizena nor wupers. UUF eriloinala, uur wards iC anj sense, they coma easily to reganled ou t~ilL Qwl i no~u tCash*~ull~ ntrtldora and :r ~mrnllal prey lor ut ~ ybo ~bl y1C Ong "r rnnnirw o~~o>lxt l,t~d u rr;tad then). The tuost norent nnd 8llrO remed!, fur tilir ur l l ~ $ 1 118" found in colnruittinx the Indvau$ at the earliest day possible io the care of the State. - ~ - And, further on: I reoommend that llegislstiau be sought from Congresslooking toward the divorce-ment of the United State~anrIln dians as "c i t i e eo~o f s domestio sovoreientv within our borders," :lntl tho rr.insfcr of tllo Ludii~nsnudr b r ~]rO ~UIWX1S0 tile &t& wbcra tlley rrsidc RR rnpidly a8 1,ntli tba Stntea and the Iu,liananre prrpalre'l rl~.wfor; but rltn praviaious of mlcb legislation shesld hoapeciric as to the Stalee and not in general tmnis. Upon the invitation of President Nicholas Murray Butler, of the National Educational Association, I presented this subiect at the Den-ver meeting, and in their resolutions the national association expressed cordial sympathy with my appeal to the teachers of the land for au aetive interest on their part in the civilizatioi~o f the Indians, and for a concerted effort to bring the Indian6 under the same law with the white men in the several States of the Union. HINDRANCES OP TRIBAL LIFE. It is generally conceded that the mere allotment of land to Indians is not suiiicient to secure set,tled home lifc on their wart. In manv it~stanceui,n spiteof every eflo~to prevent it, the 111clia'nsmilel rnbra(.; u ith wageruess the oppor t t~~~aintbyr ded them hy cert:ii[l proviaior~ao f the allotment acts of riddine themselves of the necessltvof uettlinc npon their alloti~ie~lbtsy lei i i i~ga way tbe use of their lands. ~ b ; i leaves them :it liberty atill tocoirtinue ill their l~alf.sar:~gecnrnlipfe aud tribal customs. I11 this thev are in manv cases still fuhher 6oafirmed by prevailir~gn ~odesofi ssui;~~rntiousn~p~:;~l ~ i u g ~ l ~ n u i tTi th~ersn.e re curiti~iu;u~ocfe i~suingr ;~cionsap~ay~mde nt of auuuitien hasa den~o~aliz. ine tende~icva nd reniiers needlessany effort a t self-hell) on the Dart of 1naians; b ~ iwt heu ratlolls are issued" and annuities are paid to-bands of Indians who are called into camp at the agency or subagency, the tribal habita and savageries are furnished fresh stimulus on each issue or pay day. At agencies so situated vacation comes to the school as a real calam-ity. The children, instead of returning to spend their vacation iu homes iu which they can themselves practice and teach their parents the amenities of decent housekeeping, are compelled to pass a period ia demoralizing Indian squalor, so that at the closeof vacation they retnrn to school ashamed and discouraged by their loss of prestige and self. respect. I am aware that the Indiau Office is making efforts to remedy these evils, but in order to full success, and in order to secure to the work of the Indian school a reasonabledegreeof pqrmanenee in the rest~ltsof its labors, it is imperative that a settled pol~cy should be established independent of changes in the administration, and that Congressshould confer npon the Indian Offlce uuliniited power to devise measures in the distribution of rations and annuities by which Indians may be encour. |