CHAPTER XXXIII. FARMING AND STOCK-RAISING INDIAN FAIRS
Commissioner Sells has made the “gospel of work” the chief aim of his administration. That is, he has emphasized and encouraged farming and stock-raising. Before quoting from the Commissioner’s reports and circulars on this subject, it should not be taken amiss if the statement is made that during the administrations of Commissioners Morgan and Jones, this important feature of Indian education was not sufficiently emphasized. Many of the central, northern and mountain Indians took naturally to stock-raising. With the care of the horse, they were familiar. It was but a step from horse-raising to cattle-raising, as has been illustrated in the case of the Sioux (page [309]). Truly, a number of tribes possessed more cattle a generation ago than at the present time.
From information received, I take it that under the administrations of Messrs. Leupp and Valentine, a serious effort was made to encourage farming and stock-raising, on a larger scale. While this new movement may have been inaugurated by either Mr. Leupp or Mr. Valentine, when Mr. Abbott became acting Commissioner, he encouraged and expanded efforts in this direction. Orders were issued to Superintendents, giving greater discretion in supervising individual Indian moneys; the leasing policy was simplified and self-supporting Indians permitted to lease their surplus lands and to a greater extent handle their own funds; a higher standard with larger salary was established for the Indian Service farmer, who was expected to do house to house work among the Indians under his supervision, giving practical advice and securing definite results in the way of increased production from Indian land; active cooperation between the Bureaus of Plant and Animal Industry of the Department of Agriculture was promoted; the Civil Service Commission provided tests for farmers intended to secure men with more experience and practical equipment, and the United States was divided into four Civil Service districts in order that eligible farmers might be secured for that part of the Indian country where their farming experience had been obtained. The possibilities of the working out of this policy in all its phases was demonstrated particularly on the Winnebago reservation in Nebraska, where in three years while Albert H. Kneale was Superintendent, this tribe of Indians was practically transformed into one of the most sober and industrious groups of Indians to be found on any allotted Indian reservation in the United States. From 3000 acres of Indian-farmed land, in the first year, under the new program, which gave the Superintendent freedom to act without discouraging delays in Washington, there were 12,000 acres farmed by Indians at the end of three years, and so many of the Indians had moved to their allotments that the Dutch Reformed Church had to build a new church and locate an additional missionary out in the heart of the reservation in order to reach its Indian adherents.
With the advent of Mr. Sells, as has been stated, the Department realized that if the Indian is to be saved, much more should be done than the mere issuance of instructions to Superintendents. Assistant Commissioner, Edgar B. Meritt has, the past few years, been very active in advocating reimbursable appropriations for Indians in order that they might purchase live stock and farming implements to improve their large areas of agricultural lands.
Mr. Sells’ official instructions, under date of September 2, 1914, to all Superintendents are as follows:—
“I am not satisfied that we are making the greatest use of our school farms. They usually consist of large tracts of fertile land capable of raising every crop that the climate in which the school is located will permit. In some cases these farms are well irrigated.
“In every case the schools have been or can be furnished with all the equipment necessary to till their farms to the fullest extent, and they can be furnished with stock with which to make a substantial showing in stock-raising.
“The agricultural training of the boy pupils in our schools furnishes ample opportunity for intensive farming. If this training is to be of real value and be effective in accomplishing its purpose, the farming operations should be financially successful and at the same time conducted in accordance with modern methods.
“I am convinced that there is a large field for improvement in the handling of these farms, and I want every field officer who has charge of such a farm to see that its management is of such a nature as will insure its development to the highest degree of productiveness, practical usefulness and object lesson.
“The constantly increasing demands on the various appropriations for the Indian Service make it necessary not only to exercise the most careful economy consistent with the end sought, but at the same time to see that every resource in connection with Indian education and industry is developed to the highest obtainable degree.
“See that employees in charge of your farms are men capable of rendering proper and efficient service, carefully determine the suitable crops for the particular soil of the tillable land of your farm, giving the best attention to the raising and use of these crops.
“Our farms should grow corn, oats, wheat, and raise alfalfa, clover, timothy, etc. You should raise all the potatoes and other vegetables consumed. We should not be satisfied with raising feed for the school livestock, but we should raise everything the farm, garden and orchard will produce.
“I want you to raise livestock to the fullest of your capacity; raise colts from the school mares; let your calves grow into beef for your school. Grow a good herd of hogs to follow the cattle that you feed and use the waste from the table at the school. Make your dairy amply large and of such kind that there will be plenty of milk, cream and butter. Feed the skim-milk to the hogs and grow your pork meat. Where practicable cure your own bacon and ham, make your own sausage and dry and corn your own beef.”
There is more, but this will indicate the earnest effort of the Commissioner to improve conditions.
In recent years, Indian fairs have become very popular, and are held on most reservations, or at schools. The old “Wild West” feature has been eliminated. At Red Lake, Minn., September 19th, 1914, the Ojibwa fair was attended by 2000 persons. The published account in the New York World stated:—
“Exhibits of grain grown by the Indians included specimens of oats, barley and wheat that would average twenty-five bushels to the acre, and yellow dent corn fully matured.
“What was perhaps next in importance was the stock display, which included blooded animals, the registered Holstein and Durham cattle being most numerous. The judging of the stock was done by Supt. C. G. Selvig, of the Crookston School.
“There was also a fine display of vegetables and fruit, all of which were raised by the Indians. The exhibits included cantaloupes and sugar-sweet watermelons. There were also crab apples and displays of other apples and fruits.
“The women and girls had exhibits of bread, pies, cakes, jellies, preserves, pickles, and other dainties. But probably the most artistic and beautiful display ever seen at a county fair was found in the display of beaded work. These exhibits not only were done neatly, but the beaded designs and colorings were gorgeous. The exhibit included among other things head dress, sacques, moccasins, dresses, belts, hat bands, banners, buckskin leggings, and jackets. All were new, having been made by the Chippewas the past year for display at the fair.
LEUPP HALL—STUDENTS’ DINING ROOM
Domestic Science, Bakery, Domestic Art, etc., Chilocco Indian School, Oklahoma.
“There was no disorder nor intoxication.”
Commissioner Sells seized upon the fair proposition as a means of extending industry. A portion of his sensible address to Superintendents is:—
“You should now be arranging for your Indian fair, and I desire to impress upon you my idea of the purpose and possibilities of these exhibitions.
“I want these fairs so conducted as to open to the Indians the vision of the industrial achievements to which they should aspire. I want them to be an inspiration in arousing in the Indian a clear appreciation of the great opportunity before him for real industrial advancement.
“The ownership of land always has been and always must be the principal basis of man’s wealth. A wise development of the vast natural resources of the Indian reservations has tremendous possibilities. The Indian’s rich agricultural lands, his vast areas of grass land, his great forests and his practically untouched mineral resources should be so utilized as to become a powerful instrument for his civilization.
“I hold it to be an economic and social crime, in this age and under modern conditions, to permit thousands of acres of fertile lands belonging to the Indians and capable of great industrial development to lie in unproductive idleness.
“With keen appreciation of these conditions Congress in the current appropriation bill has made available for the Indians over $600,000 as a reimbursable fund, and $250,000 additional for general and specific industrial use, all for the purchase of stock and farm equipment, as well as about $800,000 of the funds of the Confederated Bands of Utes for the civilization and support of those Indians.
“I feel that a serious obligation rests upon me and upon every employee of the Indian Service to see that no effort is spared to make the most of the great opportunity which the Indian’s property and the action of Congress now presents to the Indian. It is my duty to require that every supervising officer, every Superintendent, every farmer, every stockman, and in fact every employee of the Indian Service meets this obligation in full measure.
“The political conditions of the world will make the next few years a period of great prosperity for the American farmer. Let us see that the Indian with his broad acres is in truth an American farmer and that he properly participates in this unusual opportunity.
“I desire that our Indian fairs this year be made the opening of an intelligent and determined campaign for the industrial advancement of the Indian. Let this year’s fair mark the start of the Indian along the road, the purpose of which is self-support and independence—hereafter let your fair each year be a milestone fixing the stages of the Indian’s progress toward that goal.
“It is the primary duty of all Superintendents to understand the Indians under their charge, to study the resources of the reservation for which they are responsible, its climate, the character of its land, the type of cattle owned by the Indians, their horses, their sheep and their other stock.
INDIANS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION IN PLUMBING. HASKELL INSTITUTE, KANSAS
“Former widespread negligence and mismanagement in the cultivation of the soil, the breeding of stock, and the handling of grazing land is no excuse for the continuance of such conditions, and they will not be permitted to exist on an Indian reservation during my administration.
“Be continually at the fair yourself with your farmers and all of your industrial employees.
“Let the exhibits emphasize in an impressive manner the difference between inferior and high-grade agricultural products, and let them demonstrate in no uncertain way that greater profit results from raising the best and the most of everything produced on the farm or ranch. Encourage the Indian to take the progressive view. This should not be difficult where he has before him a clear object lesson such as is emphasized by placing his horses, cattle and sheep, his corn, oats, wheat, alfalfa and forage on exhibition in legitimate rivalry with those of his neighbor at the Indian fair.
NAVAHO SUMMER HOGAN
From G. W. James’ “Indian Blankets and their Makers”
“The improvement of stock should be aggressively advocated and impressed upon the mind of every Indian farmer and stock-raiser. He should be brought to understand that the thousands of well-bred bulls, stallions and rams were purchased during the last few months to do away with the evils of lack of sufficient and well-bred male stock and the inbreeding almost universal in the past. He should understand that in order to secure the best results the male stock must not only be improved but that the old and worse than useless male animals which have heretofore been so destructive to the Indian’s success as a stock-raiser must be disposed of.”
The Carlisle school farms this summer were quite prosperous, as were farms at all the educational centers. The Carlisle Arrow of September 4th, says:—
The First Farm
“The forty-eight cows and the six head of young cattle are in fine condition, as are also 70 hogs, averaging 125 pounds; 30 shoats, averaging 30 pounds; 22 small pigs, and 12 brood sows.
“The average amount of milk produced during the summer months was eighty gallons a day, and butter, eighty pounds a week.
“There is material for hundreds of tons of ensilage.”
The Second Farm
“The wheat and oats were unusually good and the yield was abundant. There are thirty acres of fine potatoes. The large flocks of turkeys and chickens are thriving. The number of eggs gathered have kept the hospital well supplied throughout the summer.”
“The school garden crop exceeds, in quantity of production, any on record. The farms also have yielded abundantly, making this a record-breaking year for Carlisle in the fruition of agricultural products.”
The Indian fairs, now so popular on many reservations, will play no small part in solving the Indian problem. It does not matter which one of the Commissioners inaugurated this most excellent incentive to work and progress. Whoever was responsible for it, hit upon a most happy expedient. Manifestly, the Indians should be encouraged to continue these fairs and to engage in honest competition. Everyone will heartily approve of the scheme to abandon, or curtail, the “Wild West” feature—of which we have had entirely too much the past thirty years.
A few years ago, Indian farms, formerly under cultivation, had grown up to bushes in Minnesota and Oklahoma. If the plans of the Indian Office, as outlined above, are carried to a successful termination, most of these tracts will again come under cultivation. The Indian will feel encouraged to labor, especially so since the fruits of his toil will accrue to him rather than to the white man. The reimbursable appropriations and the encouragement of industry are two of the most hopeful signs of Indian progress.