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m~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~m ~bc 1Jnbtan ~cbool Joumal Printed bY' Students of the Indian School at Chilocco, Oklahoma cAn Illustrated Monthly cJYlagazine About Native cAmericans VOLUME FIFTEEN FEBRUARY, 1915 NUMBER SIX THE AWAKENED AMERICAN INDIAN By ARTHUR C. PARKER r--"\HE American Indian has Roe-Cloud, Hiram Chase and William written a new J. Kershaw; supplemented by the Ex chapter in his life ecutive Committee, including the Pres story. The tenth ident, Vice-President on Memhership day of December, and the Secretary-Treasurer. nineteen hundred The meetings at which the Memori and fourteen, al was formulated were held at the of marked a new be fice of Hon. Gabe E. Parker, Register ginning in Indian of the U. S. Treasury. Mr. Parker, Progress and pro who is a Choctaw, is a member of tbe claimed a new day for the red race. Society's Advisory Board. Here the Upon that dav President Woodrow various ideas suhmitted by the Com Wilson listened to the Memorial of the mittee and by the members of the Ex Society of American Indians in hehalf ecutive Council, were drawn into shape of the American Indian. Never be after careful debate. In its prepara fore, perhaps, had there assembled so tion a majority of members of the Ad large a body of men and women of In visory Board, the entire Memorial ?ian blood. having so wide an influence Committee and all butoneab entmem In the world's affairs. Never before bel' of the Executive Council partici had the men and women of the race pated. The strong men of the Socie presented so definite an appeal cover ty and of the race were indeed pres Ing the condition of all Indians. ent. The memorial to the President The Memorial presented to the Presi is a historic document. dent was the outcome of an action of President Wilson had set the hour the University of Wisconsin Confer as twelve fifteen on December tenth. ence of the Sdcietv of American Indi The Society represented by its Active ans, and was dr;wn up by order of officers, Associate officers, Board, and the conference. Tbe Committee con by many members of both divisions, SI ted cf Dennison Wheelock, chair marched promptly from their head man, Prof. F. A. McKenzie, Henry quarters at the Hotel powhatan and 288 THE INDIAN SCHOOL JOURNAL-ABOUT INDIANS reached the White House a few min thority. We request, therefore, that, .. ", uites before noon. More than forty first essential to a proper .olution of the I.· delegates were in the body. Senator dian Problem, and even for the benefit of tn' Robert L. Owen, of Cherokee blood, nation itself, thu. matter be placed in the hand, of a commIssion of three men,-the best, tn, was already with the President as the ?nasi competent and the kindliest men to lit Delegation entered the reception room found, and that they be authorized to stud) in the Executive Mansion. The local this question and recommend to you and. arrangements had been made with the the Congress the passage of a code of IndIa, Secretary to the President by Mr. law which shall open the door of hope and . e It~ Gabe E. Parker who introduced the progress to our people. Our SocIety SlOe • beginning has pled for this fundamental n'· members of the Society. The Presi cessity of race advancement. dent stood in the center of his office and shook hands cordially as each ADMISSION TO THE COURT OF CLAIMS. We ask also that the COllrt of ClaIms. lit member was presented. Then, after , I Cl ' c given jurisdiction over all Indian a17P/. a short explanation, Mr. Dennison against the United States. Wheelock read the Memorial, which This done, a great barrier to race develop follows: ment would be removed, for we shou ld , n(' DISTRICT OF COLUIIBIA, I longer he tied to the 'past with the feelm~ CITY OF WASHINGTON. \ that the country had not fulfilled its obhga· tions to our race. Hi. excellency, the president of the United States: We believe that mo re than has been done Acting under instruction of the Fourth An can be done to make Indian proper t y an ,f· nual Conference of the Society of American ficient instrument for Ind ian welfare; to make Indian intell ect statesmenship, and Indians. held on the 6th to the 11th of Octo , . W. ber. 1914, at the University of Wisconsin. in craftsmanship useful to the nalton. the city of Madison, Wisconsin, your peti point with pride to the men and women, w~ tioners respectfully present this Memorial. by their achievements have demonstrat Congress has conferred special authority the mberent capacity of Indian blood. 0: upon the President of the United States re plea is that just opportunity be provlded specting the welfare of the Indians, regard insure the efficiency and enlarge the capaci tr ed as wards of tbe Federal Government. We of tho thousands who have not had freedo" believe that this oOl igation lies close to your to struggle upward and whose cond.,.tlOn verf. heart and we, therefor., feel free to suggest shortly will become not only a men ace to to you a few things which seem to us neces themselves but a burden to the nation. sary to our welfare and progress, to our de W e plead, SIr,. that you gIve. us the cbeert velopment as co-laborers and produ~ers. We of your word, that you consitJer ou r req?es believe that you feel, with the progressive and call upon Congress to grant teh Arn eClcan.. members of our race, that it is anomalous per Indians those fundamental rights and pClV" I manently to conserve within thenation groups eges wh Ic· h are essentIal. to re I ease tbemd of people whose civic condition by legislation from enforced wardship dependence an is different from the normal standard of consequentdegeneracy;andthatyou, a dv ocate . American life. measures that will according to the r"og DEFlI>lTlON OF LEGAL STATUS. Dlze. d pnnclples..' of legal and economIC. develOP"be As a race, the Indian, under the jurisdic ment, speedily secure their admIssIo.' n,to t l tion of the United States, has no standing in field of even chance for individual effiClenc. court or nation. No man can tell what its and competency. di" status is, eitbercivic or legal. Confu.sion and For the weak and helpless, for the ;d chaos are the only words descriptive of the Couraged and hopeless of our race scatter d situation. This condition is a barrier to the OVer this broad land We make this plea an . , ferenCE' progress of our people who aspire to higher petition. Through our annual can .,'fr' things and greater success. we have carried our p1ea to the great unl n . wake IVe hold it incontrovertible that our status SltJes of the land' we have striven to a , . f out in this nation should be defined by federal au- the pUblic consdence to the justIce 0 the demands and now we ask you to consider THE INDIAN SCHOOL JOURNAL-ABOUT INDIANS 289 merits of our appeal. And for the hoon we filed from the room and out of the crave we shall ever pray. White House, where they faced a THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN INDIANS. battery of cameras and moving pic SHERMAN COOLIDGE, President. CRAS. E. DAGENETT, Vice· president. ture machines_ WM. J. KERSHAW, Vice-president. After returning to the Hotel Pow ARTHUR C. PARKER, Secretary. hatan for luncheon, the Executive December the Tenth, Committee held an informal confer Nineteen Hundred Fourteen. ence which continued until five o'clock. THE COMMITTEE ON MEMORIAL: The speakers were, President Cool Dennison Wheelock, Chairman. idge, Dr. C. Hart Merriam on the Hiram Chase, "Tragedy in California". Matthew K. Henry Roe-Cloud, F. A. McKenzie, Sniffen on the "Cry of Alaska", Wm. Wm. J. Kershaw. J. Kershaw, "Our Memorial", Hiram Chase on "The Law That Restricts", The president remained standing at Father Philip B. Gordon, on. "The one corner of his desk during the Relation of Education to Morality" reading and was evidently impressed. and Gen. Pratt on "Why I Have Loved After Mr. Wheelock had handed the the Red Man". Memorial to the President, Mr. Cool· The afternoon meeting was merely idge, President of the Society, de an informal discussion, the evening livered a few words in explanation of banquet being the event to which all the object of the Society. This was looked for the final event of the day. followed by an address by Mr. Wm. The local chairman of the Enter J. Kershaw. Mr. Kershaw's speech tainment Committee was Mr. Charles was an eloquent classic and profoundly E. Dagenett and to him the success of impressi ¥e. As the years go by it the event is largely due. As in all of will be regarded as one of the master its functions, this was distinctly of pieces of Indian oratory. Congress high grade, every appointment being man Charles D. Carter, former Chief the best that could be secured. The of the Chickasaw Council, and now toastmaster of the evening was Han. vice-president on legislation of the Charles D. Carter. The principal society, made the closing address in speaker was Han. Cato Sells, Com dorsing the memorial in its plea for missioner of Indian Affairs, who told a new and just code of law and of the remarkable change he had greater opportunity for the red man. wrought in Indian affairs and vividly President Wilson replied expressing depicted his achievements in protect his pleasure in receiving the dele ing Indian interests.