THE SOUTHERN WORKMAN was founded by Samuel Chapman Armstrong in 1872, and is a monthly devoted to the interests of undeveloped races. It contains reports from Negro and Indian populations, with pictures of reservation and plantation life, as well as information concerning Hampton graduates and ex-students who since 1868 have taught more than 250,000 children in the South and West. It also provides a forum for the discussion of ethnological, sociological, and educational problems in all parts of the world. CONTRIBUTIONS: The editors do not hold themselves responsible for the opinions expressed in contributed articles. Their aim is simply to place before their readers articles by men and women of ability without regard to the opinions held. TERMS: One Dollar a year in advance; ten cents a copy CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Persons making a change of address should send the old as well as the new address to THE SOUTHERN WORKMAN, Hampton, Virginia. Entered as second-class matter August 13, 1908, in the Post Office at Hampton, Virginia, under the Act of July 16, 189. A complete list will be sent on application. One dozen will be sent free to Southern teachers and superintendents. To all others the price is fifty cents per dozen. Address: Publication Office, The Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, Hampton, Virginia The Southern Workman VOL. XL NOVEMBER 1911 NO. 11 New Indian Editorials Taking part in the first Conference of the American Meeting of the Indian Association at Columbus, Ohio, October 12-16, were about one hundred Indians representing twenty tribes. These tribes were as widely scattered as the Pueblos of New Mexico, the Senecas and Onondagas of New York State, the Sioux of North Dakota, and the Cherokees of North Carolina. Perhaps two-thirds were distinctively Indian in appearance and in habits of thought and speech. They came directly from their people and from their work on the reservations and in the schools. They came with clear notions of the problems which are most pressing at this time. These matters they put before the Convention in direct and forceful words. In the three days of business sessions practically every matter that vitally concerned the three hundred thousand Indians of the country was intelligently discussed. Professor F. A. McKenzie, of the Department of Economics of the Ohio State University, was, in a very real sense, the host of the Convention. His energy and his spirit of self-effacement were both inspirations to the members; next to Mr. McKenzie in point of effectiveness, was the chairman, Mr. Charles E. Dagenett, Superin tendent of Indian Employment. To Mr. Dagenett is due the insertion in the constitution of the provision making it impossible for an employee of the Government to hold office in the organization. A few Indians who were expected to attend stayed away, and the main reason was a circular letter sent out by Dr. Carlos Montezuma of Chicago. In his letter, Dr. Montezuma said: "Several of the principal members of our association have protested in the past against the influence of white men in the conduct of its affairs, and it is an unpleasant revelation to me to discover that these same members are now submitting to the dictation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and are either unwittingly or wickedly lending sanction to a course of procedure directly antagonistic to the best interests of the Indians.” It was felt at the meeting that Dr. Montezuma expressed in this an opinion rather widely believed among the Indians, and to a very large extent justified. It was because he believed that the organization can do more effective work and get the biggest membership by keeping it separated always from the appearance of government control, that Mr. Dagenett insisted upon putting the clause quoted above into the constitution. There was very little vague talk at the Conference. Those who came were workers who had first-hand, definite knowledge of the subjects they spoke about. On Friday, industrial and educational problems were taken up by Mr. J. E. Shields of Watonga, Oklahoma; Miss Laura M. Cornelius of the Wisconsin Oneida tribe; Mr. Charles Doxson of the Syracuse Onondagas; and Mrs. Marie L. Baldwin, a Chippewa. Mr. Shields is a farmer; Miss Cornelius has under way among the Indians a co-operative industrial village plan; Mr. Doxson is a skilled mechanic who talked about his work; and Mrs. Baldwin is in the employ of the Indian Bureau. Indian education was discussed by Mr. Arthur C. Parker, a young Iroquois who is State Archæologist of New York State. Mrs. Angel de Cora Deitz talked about the teaching and preservation of native Indian art. Mrs. Deitz is a teacher of Indian art at Carlisle. The Indian in the professions and the higher education of Indians were two other topics discussed on that day. Perhaps the most specific and helpful of all the addresses at the meeting were the papers dealing with the legal and administrative problems on the reservations. On this subject Mr. Thomas L. Sloan, the Omaha Indian attorney, and Mr. Hiram Chase, another Indian attorney from Pender, Nebraska, delivered helpful and specific papers. It was brought out clearly that such matters must increasingly occupy the attention of the organization. In the committee room where the con stitution was drafted, most emphasis was placed upon the divisions designed to handle the legal and legislative matters coming up in connection with the administration of Indian reservations. Next in importance was considered the division of education. In this connection it was brought out very clearly in the Convention that there exists a positive belief that in Indian education there is a chance for definite reforms. There should be included in the curriculum of every school where Indians are taught, courses in Indian history, accurately and sympathetically told, and in the manual-training schools courses in Indian crafts and arts. The preservation of Indian archæology and Indian systems of government were regarded as the work of importance that lies ahead. Emphasis was placed also on the work of the division of information. It was felt that here an exceptional opportunity is offered for putting the modern Indian right with the country. Statistics of the informing kind are to be gathered, information is to be supplied, and, wherever possible, the real facts concerning Indian matters are to be given wide publicity. The Secretary-Treasurer's office at Washington should become one of great importance. It will serve as a clearing house for the work of the various divisions. It will collect and keep information for the assistance of the legal and legislative divisions and for the publicity division. In the organization, as well as in the talks delivered, there appeared at Columbus the same determination to keep matters practical. The one factor that caused apprehension of any sort was the absence of those Indians who were appealed to by Dr. Montezuma not to put themselves under the influence of the Indian Bureau. In view of what happened at Columbus, however, it is not likely that at the meeting next year any such suspicion of the motives of the organization will be entertained. The Conference was all Indian. absolutely free and it was of great actual value to those who participated. It is quite certain that the organization will develop into a prominent and valuable instrument for the good of the Indians. Conditions During the third week in October was effected the National League consolidation of three New York societies interested on Negro Urban in the advancement of the Negro; namely, the Committee for Improving the Industrial Conditions of Negroes in New York, the National League for the Protection of Colored Women, and the Committee on Urban Conditions among Negroes. The object of consolidating three such useful societies was |