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A Message from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs (Dept of the Interior)(1923) (1 pages)
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Page: of 1
TAU
ar
hye
M [A Roends DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ;
C “OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS ;
[ox 6 $ . WASHINGTON .
A Wessage
TO ALL INDIANS:
Not long ago I held a meeting of Superintendents, Missionaries and Indians,
at which the feeling of those present was strong against Indian dances, as they
are usually given, and against so much time as is often spent by the Indians in
a display of their old customs at public gatherings held by the whites. From the
views of this meeting and from other information I feel that something must be
done to stop the neglect of stock, crops, gardens, and home interests czused by
these dances or by celebrations, pow-wows, and gatherings of any kind that take
the time of the Indians for many days.
Now, what I want you to think about very seriously is that you must first of aad
all try to make your own living, which you cannot do unless you work faithfully
and take care of what comes from your labor, and go to dances or other meetings
only when your home work will not suffer by it. I do not want to deprive you
of decent amusements or occasional feast days, but you should not do evil or
foolish things or take so much time for these occasions. No good comes from your
"give-away" custom at dances and it should be stopped. It is not right to torture
your bodies or to handle poisonous snakes in your ceremonies. All such extreme
things are wrong and should be put aside and forgotten. You do yourselves and
your families great injustice when at dances you give away money or other proper-—
ty, perhaps clothing, a cow, a horse or a team and wagon, and then after an
absence of several days go home to find everything going to waste and yourselves
with less to work with than you had before.
I could issue an order against these useless and harmful performances, but
I would much rather have you give them up of your own free will and, therefore,
I ask you now in this letter to do so. I urge you to come to an understanding
and an agreement with your Superintendent to hold no gatherings in the months
when the seed-time, cultivation of crops and the harvest need your attention, and
at other times to meet for only a short period and to have no drugs, intoxicants,
or gambling, and no dancing that the Superintendent does not approve,
If at the end of one year the reports which I receive show that you are
doing as requested, I shall be very glad for I will know that you are making proce
gress in other and more important ways, but if the reports show that you reject fest
this plea, then some other course will have to be taken.
With best wishes for your happiness and success, I am
at Mette?
Let
TO a eietit oan)
RTT
Sincerely yours,
" 1 . ot
February 24, 1923. . Commissioner.
a el ee .
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