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Show INDIANS TO BE RELEASED Government Urged to Place Redman on Equal Footing With Whites Washington, Jan. C That the Am r:i nn Indian Bbould be released as 3oon as possible trom the paternal care o the United States government, now his guardian in virtually every thing he does, was the opinion i pressed in the annual report from the bur- an of Indian affairs submitted to BeOretary of the Interior Fisher o Robert G. Yalentlne. until recently , commissioner, and made public today. The then commissioner voiced the hope that the day might be near when the United States will finally have lifted its hands trom Indian af-i.ilrs. af-i.ilrs. and all IndlanB in all respects will stand on an equal fbotlng with I all their fellow Americans." Indians Should Come Under Local Rule. "With all the expedition compatible compati-ble with the Indiana' welfare." he Added, thej Bhould be made subject to the laws of their states and be tcuL'lit to look to their local govern mem insttad of the national govern men! My conviction is that no possible pos-sible obstacle should be placed in the way of the transformation of Indian In-dian affairs administered by Mf l'n. ted States into the affairs of nornin! citizens under the ordinary jurisdiction jurisdic-tion of the states Marriage and Divorce Difficult "I do not suRgest further authority for enlarged federal Jurisdiction over minor oflenses on reservations Important Im-portant Questions of marriage and divorce di-vorce illustrate difficult points, of which the only proper solution i-pears i-pears to be education of Indians whether or not they are citizens, to com pi wiiii the laws of their states." Progress during the year in tef I ing the Indian to be sober and Industrious, Indus-trious, in educating him to be a better bet-ter farmer und mechanic, and in Imparting Im-parting health principles both as they apply individually and in the honi e, was reported Vocational Teaching. "Every Indian, like every white man. " declared the commissioner, "is best titled for some one thing We are trying to find that thlnu. One of our newest activities is to make even ev-en effort, both in the schools and among the adults on the resenatton-c In the direction of vocational guidance." The Indian service in all its parts showed increased activity during the vear, the report stated, not in extension exten-sion of jurisdiction, "but In crapplin-j more deeply and more intimately witn the problems It has to solve.'" The campaign for good health and physical physi-cal efficiency nmonc the Indians con tlnued with increased momentum, the need for this work being shown by the fact that the death rate among the Indians Is 60 per cent greater than that among other classes of peo-I peo-I pie In the registration area of the (United States, while the mortality from tuberculosis Is three and a half j times as preat. The war against the sale or liquor . to Indians was "waged with coutlnu jous vigor and successful results," the : report added, "and the fight against gambling Is beginning to bear fruit " I Mr Yalentlne pointed to the fact thi I two convictions were secured for the I sale of liquor to Indians in Washing I ton. "under the dome of our cupitol," I showing, ho said, that the "Indlnn though hundreds of miles distant fmm his home, has not lost his lust for I firewater and that the laws as now in force are applicable anywhere.' Home Conditions. The home conditions of the Indiani Is one of the most unsatisfactory fea turcH of the Indian problem," said the ommiesloner, for which reason special spe-cial attention ll being given tl the instruction of Indian girls. Th I char actor and efficiency of the training given to them must be improved, he said, because it is realized thai fol the girls more than for the boys the instruction should be of an intensh. form Cirls fan be kept in school only lor a few years after they have developed into womanhood, it was stated The greatest investment the Indian I : 'service has. continues the report. Is jln the so-called returned students who ! m j have been away at the larger schools M ;and have returned to live at or near ' J their home reservation There aro about 36 000 of these Indians, who 'M represent an economic investment, It is estimated, of about 150,000.000 Thene students frequently are cor. sidered merely trouble makers by the superintendents of the reservations, declares the commissioner The su perlntendents forget, he adds, that this class of Indians protest against H the order of things as they find It when they return to their reserva H tions because "they have seen better things, but have not found their own wa to them. And I am sorry to say " he continues! "that frequently the iS great) Bl obstacle to their finding j their way lies in the government ma- lH chinery and personnel itself. Every IH Indian s hool in the country' should Jl ler it a vital part of its daily fl work to keep track of the student- 1 who ha.e attended it. These return Students are the hope of the In ; dian problem We would hardlv think of spending a similar amount In training n race horse and then turn El him loose under unfavorable ran?e bJH conditions to shift for himself." Wl Property Interests, ''Xl The properly interests of the in- dians constitute one of the greatest estates ever held in trust by any or- sanitation, government or private. ih- report states. Including the lands. M forests water powers, minerals and 4H funds held in trlhal or individual own- ifl ershlp the principal held by the gov- ill ernment for the Indians amounts to $750,000,000, and the interest and an-J an-J nual rentals produce a total of $1.'. 000,000. H Indian art and the industries which produce it should be carefully pre-served. pre-served. In the opinion of the commit-sloner. commit-sloner. Tbe making of Navajo blank- H et6. of the high grades of bead work and basketry and of pottery should be fostered and preserved. Among the Pimas and Apaches In Arizona and some of the tribes in California, as. well as elsewhere, there are expert basket weavers who H should be encouraged, he says, while the $700,000 worth of blankets made 'H annually by the NSvaJoS constitute their most important means of sup port He points to a woman basket weaver who made a basket which tho merchant now owning it values at $1,-500, $1,-500, while she hus sold other master- iH pieces for from $150 to $250 1 Indian Uplift Noble Work. H Xo work is nobler or more r.eces- Itl sary or more trying In the Indian service than that of the field matrons 11 and women industrial teachers, ac J cording to the commissioner. The 1 help given by these women varies M from Instruction In sanitation to the lf super; islon of expenditures and the settlement of domestic difficulties; 1 and they save the lives of many chll- II Thousands Need Education. 'B Educational opportunities must be 1 taken to thousands of Indian children not yet In school; industrial Impulse and opportunity must be given to In- JH Hans who do not know the value of H their possessions ; a chance has to be J extended to thousands of Indian fa en- HH Hies for living in sanitary homes, H says the reporl "Only In this way." jl It is declared, "can the day of the In- H dians' emancipation from national '1 guardianship be sped, and the obli- H gatlon that is upon us of affording tbe H Indians the same opportunities, H rights and privileges as other Amer- jH leans be discharged " M |