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Show How Can Indians Achieve Social Standing?. A letter to the leading citizens in the Religious, Civic, Service, I Educational and Cultural Organizations Organ-izations of Cedar City. Longer than you can remember remem-ber the Indians have lived near or in Cedar City. Some of the men have worked on the farms, the younger women In the homes of the whites, and the old "squaws" begged their subsist-a subsist-a nee, going from door to dor to ask for bread. They lived :i one-room shacks across the creek, suffering from the cold i:j winter and the scourge of flies in summer. In most unsanitary conditions they lived. Most of the children born to them died of T.B. and other contagion before they reached the age of 10 years. Through the benevolence of the leaders of the Latter d.iy Saint Church, their present houses and adjoining land were purchased pur-chased and given to them for their tuture nomes. mere they have lived and died for more than 30 years, isolated and shut out from the social, cultural and religious life of our white residents, wholly whol-ly unprepared to take on the white man's ways but exposed to the white man's vices with the result that their little society became a sore kjhH in our community. com-munity. In recent years, an L D S mission mis-sion was established among them and a splendid chapel was built for them. Some 26 were baptized and nearly that number of babies were blessed. But still hey have remained social outcasts, out-casts, and Christ's teaching became be-came a mockery. Jesus said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," a fundamental law of Christianity. How many white hands were extended to this far-gotten far-gotten people to lift them Into an abundant life. Does the pro misc made in the Book of Mormon Mor-mon that they will become white and delightsome people mean that they must became j white before they are to become ' delightsome or delightsome before be-fore they become white? If they are to become delightsome, how can this be brought about? Can the Indians achieve this desired condition by themsehxe? These and other questions are confronting our community. Will you help us find the answers to the above and following questions: ques-tions: j 1. What responsibility do e have as a community in the-spiritual, the-spiritual, moral, social, and economic eco-nomic well-being of our Indians? 2. How can these spiritual, 'moral, social and economic barriers bar-riers between our white and In dian communities be removed? I 3. How and to what extent can jwe give the Indian self -pride j self-confidence and encouragement encourage-ment to develop his initiative for self -Improvement. 4. How can the community win the confidence and respect and give him a desire to become a worthy citizen, a good neighbor neigh-bor and a true friend? 5. There are 46 under-age children chil-dren in our Indian community. (Vhat should be our policy regarding re-garding their future? We shall be very grateful to you if you will take the time I to send us your answers v sug-I sug-I gestions concerning the above questions. Very slncerelv youn. WILLIAM H. MAHiratG Indian Branch TvemUent |