Sioux County Pioneer
Volume 3 Number 32
FORT YATES, SIOUX COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA
THURSDAY, MAY 3, 1917
Complete Emancipation American Indian Near
Commissioner Sells With Approval of Secretary Lane, Proclaims Emancipation of American Indian
Following is a copy of the new declaration of policy in the administration of Indian affairs, made public this week through the courtesy of the officers of the Fort Yates Standing Rock Indian Agency:
During the past four years the efforts of the administration of Indian affairs have been largely concentrated on the following fundamental activities - the betterment of health conditions of Indians, the suppression of the liquor traffic among them, the improvement of their industrial conditions, the further development of vocational training in their schools, and the protection of the Indian's property. Rigid progress has been made along these lines, and the work thus reorganized and revitalized will go on with increased energy. With these activities and accomplishments well under way, we are now ready to take the next step in our administrative program.
The time has come for discontinuing guardianship of all competent Indians and giving even closer attention to the incompetent that they may more speedily achieve competency.
Broadly speaking, a policy of greater liberalism will henceforth prevail in Indian administration to the end that every Indian, as soon as he has been determined to be [undecipherable] competent to trans[undecipherable] his own business as the average white man, shall be given full control of his property and have all his lands and moneys turned over to him, after which he will no longer be a ward of the government.
Pursuant to this policy, the following rules shall be observed:
1 - To all able-bodied adult Indians of less than one-half Indian blood, there will be given as far as may be under the law full and complete control of their property. Patents in fee shall be issued to all adult Indians of one-half or more Indian blood who may, after careful investigation, be found competent, provided, that where deemed advisable patents in fee shall be with-held for not to exceed 40 acres as a home.
Indian students, when they are 21 years of age, or over, who complete the full course of instruction in the government schools, receive diplomas, and have demonstrated competency will so be declared.
2 - A liberal ruling will be adopted in the matter of passing upon applicants for the sale of inherited Indian lands where the applicants retain other lands and the proceeds are to be used to improve homesteads or for other equally good purposes. A more liberal ruling than has hitherto prevailed will hereafter be followed with regard to the applications of non-competent Indians for the sale of their lands where they are old and feeble and need the proceeds for their support.
3 - The rules which are made to apply in the granting of patents in fee and the sale of lands will be made equally applicable in the matter of issuing certificates of competency.
4 - Indians will be given unrestricted control of all their individual Indian moneys upon issuance of patents in fee or certificates of competency. Strict limitations will not be placed upon the use of funds of the old, the indigent, and the invalid.
5 - As speedily as possible their pro rata shares in tribal trust or other funds shall be paid to all Indians who have been declared competent, unless the legal status of such funds prevents. Where practicable the pro rata shares of incompetent Indians will be withdrawn from the treasury and placed in banks to their individual credit.
6 - In many boarding schools Indian children are being educated at government expense whose parents are amply able to pay for their education and have public school facilities at or near their homes. Such children will not hereafter be enrolled in government Indian schools supported by gratuity appropriations, except on payment of actual per capita cost and transportation.
These rules are hereby made effective, and all Indian Bureau administrative offices at Washington and in the field will be governed accordingly.
This is a new and far reaching declaration of policy. It means the dawn of a new era in Indian administration. It means that the competent Indian will no longer be treated as half ward and half citizen. It means reduced appropriations by the government and more self-respect and the independence for the Indian. It means the ultimate absorption of the Indian race into the body polite of the nation. It means, in short, the beginning of the end of the Indian problem.
In carrying out this policy, I cherish the hope that all real friends of the Indian race will lend their aid and hearty co-operation.
- CATO SELLS, Commissioner
Approved:
Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior.
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