| OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.' D E P A R T ~ NOTF THE IATEEIOR, OFFICE OF INDIANAF FAIRS, TVslbingtolz, October 10, 1883. SIR: In the performance of a dnty imposed on me by la,w, I hare the honor to submit herewith my annual report for the year 1883. In reviewing the operations of the lant rea.r it is gratifying to find that not only has no backward step been taken in the march of im-provement among the Indian tribes, but some decided advance has been made. Particularly is this t q e in the matter of industrial school education. Some tribes hare been persuaded to send their children to industrial schools that hare heretofore succ~ssfullyr esisted all efforts to induce them to rlo so. Whatever of success has been atta,ined in this matter is attributable large]- to the iucreased appropriations which rhe last Congress wisely male for this purpose. Whatever differenees of opinion may exist in reference to many questions of policy as applicd ro the Indian tribes, one question may now be considered as settled ?eyond controrersy, and that is that the Indian must he taught to work for his own support, and to speak the Englisl~ langnage, or he must $re place to people who do. It is a grave mistake to suppose that in matters of detail and of minor importance the same rule will apply to all Indians, because some are as ditlerent from others as the people of different nationalities; but on the subject of labor and language, the rule is and mnst be uniform and uni\.ersal; and it is encouraging to kuow that the Indians of 1883 are in advance of the Indians of 1882 in t,his respect. This subject is discussed more fully on page XXX. In my report of one year ago I called attention to many of the diE-culties with which this office has to contend iu administeringits affairs, and which it bas hoped would be cured by legislation, some changes in law and practice being absolutely necessary if efficiency and eeou-omy were to be attained. But owing, I presume, to the press of busi-ness and the shortness of the session, the needed relief was not obtained; so that we are now dragging along in Inany of the old ruts of the past, some of which have become dangerously deep. But iuasmueh as my duty is performed when I call attention to needed legislation and state (111) |
