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• o/ •ters. The chiefs and head men object to education.It was because of this trouble over the schools that old Chief Push-E-to-Neke-qua visited Washington last spring with his interpreter, Joseph Tissbn, and took along two members of his council. They have the commission form of government and! everything is done by a small and se-lt; lect council. They took up their grievances first with RepresentativeIndian School Near Toledo.»iIndian boys ,and girls of Iowa go to school, but it can hardly be said that they gc regularly. They have a fine schoolhouse, and it is ably managed, but the older members of the tribes make so much trouble that it is doubtful if the children get much good from the work.Strange as it may seem, perhaps the most backward and unregenerate Indians in the United States to-day are to be found In Iowa. And these In-aians do not depend upon government annuities alone, for they own their land in fee simple and theirs is not properly a reservation.The Indians in Iowa are remnants of the Sac and Fox tribe and a few Winnebagoes. The Sac and Fox tribe was the tribe which possessed Icvva at one time, and the Winnebagoes lived to the north and west of them. The major portion of the Iowa Indians are in Oklahoma, and those which nowr live on a farm in Tama county also formerly lived in the Indian territory, but insisted on coming back to Iowa.The land is held by the federal government as trustee for these Indians. Formerly a part of the land was held by the state and the title was in the name of the governor, but a few years ago this title was transferred. The chiefs paid a notable visit to Gov, Cummins to protest against this change, but were convinced that it was all right. Another serious matter came up which Gov. Cummins had to dispose of, and that was the quarrel as to the chieftaincy. The Sacs and Foxes claim that the chief they haveGroup of Indian School Children.had for years is in fact a Winnebago, and they wanted another. This matter was adjusted and peace reigned again.The state came into contact with these Indians residing in Tama county in still another way a few years ago when an epidemic of smallpox broke out on the reservation and the state board of. health had to take charge and clean it up. It went hard with the Indians to have to get clean and be decent, but they came to it. Their tents and blankets were burned and there was a general cleaning up which has been good for them ever since.The schoolhouse for these Iowa Indians is near Toledo, and it is main-Good, in whose district they live, and then with the Indian bureau. The sturdy old chieftain complained that government agents imprisoned several, Indian parents for not sending their children to school, hut this punishment having been forbidden by order; of court, he says the agents held backi the annuities of the Indians to com--pel them, to obey the school regulations.Push-E-to-Neke-qua and his braves had to go home with the assurancei that they would be treated fairly by the government, but that they must consent to the education of their children according to the government regulations.
Newspaper Details
Atlantic Evening News
Atlantic, Iowa, US
Thu, Aug 12, 1909
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Johnathan B.
IA, USA 03 May 2018
Other Publications Near Atlantic, Iowa
Atlantic Cass County Democrat
Atlantic Bruces Optimist
Atlantic Advertiser
Atlantic News Telegraph
Atlas of Cass County Iowa
