HOW ABOUT THE CONDITION0F THE INDIANS? - To help us decide, let's review the story since the coming of the white man

Sep 21, 2026

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文章围绕“印第安人处境如何”展开讨论，先呈现美国国会即将做出的政策选择对印第安人可能产生的深远影响。文中一方面描述部分部落在保留地上通过劳动与现代设备实现生活改善、教育上升与一定程度的融入；另一方面强调仍有大量印第安人贫困、健康与受教育状况不佳，并受到歧视与制度性阻隔。随后以联邦保护结束、以条约承诺为例展示历史承诺被破坏以及权衡“进步”与公平正义的现实困境。

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

HOW ABOUT THE CONDITION0F THE INDIANS?

How does the score stand?

The Tndian

Early encounters and trade

Expansion and conflict

The Cherokee example

# HOW ABOUT THE CONDITION0F THE INDIANS? America has its home grown DP problem—the Indians.When Congress meets next month,it will find severalproposals concerning the Indians awaiting action.Thedecisians we shall make through our representativesmay be as significant for the Indians as any in the pastcentury. We Americans know in our hearts nat only that the 653c Illustrations by Stuart Judd,Jr. Indians are our fellaw citizens but that this land wastheirs befare it became ours.At this mament the U.S.A.has an opportunity to da a really fine job for the Indians.But a wrong tack,now,not only might miss this chancefor good but could work great injustice and harm. # How does the score stand? There's the fact that many Indian tribal communitiesare working out their own future as Americans.Takethe San Carlos Apaches.Their reservatian has develapedinto ane af the finest cattle ranches in Arizona.Throughhard work and thraugh modern equipment—trucks,tractars,caterpillars—they have succeeded in makingtheir purebred Herefards,of which they are proud,yieldthem a good living.Apaches can now own cars,radios,refrigeratars,washing machines,like other successfulAmericans,yet hold on ta Indian ways and traditianswhich they cherish. There's the fact that every year more and moreIndians go to high schaal and college. But we can't escape the fact that far too manyIndians remain poor,unhealthy,ill educated,and badlytrained to take care of themselves.Consider alsa theirother difficulties.Sametimes there's discrimination,whichespecially for Indians off the reservation"makes aurpeaple feel bad,"as Clarence Wesley,Chairman af theInter-tribal Cauncil of Arizona,puts it.Discriminationcan carry over even after death.Sergeant Jahn Rice,Winnebaga Indian,branze star halder,killed in actionin Korea,was refused burial in a private cemetery nearSiaux City,lowa.Today he lies in Arlington NationalCemetery."The President feels,"said Mr.Truman's tele-gram to John Rice's widow,"that natianal appreciationof patriotic sacrifice should not be limited by race,color,or creed." Take the Bill ending Federal protection of tribal rightspassed last August by Congress,sections of which Presi-dent Eisenhower criticized as revealing"a most un-Christian-like appraach”. Back in 1877,in his message to Cangress,PresidentRutherford B.Hayes said:"Many,if not mast,of ourIndian wars have had their origin in braken promisesand acts of injustice on our part."Today,there's thematter of the treaty with the Yakima Indians,a solemnpromise signed in 1857 by President Buchanan andratified by the Senate,which assured this tribe the useof their "usual and accustomed fishing places"on theColumbia"as long as the river runs,as the sun shines,and as the snow is on the mountains."The snow isstill an the mountains,but the running river,despiteprotests of the Indians,will soon be blocked by theDalles Dam,authorized by Congress,which will wipeout the fishing grounds that have been chief source oflivelihood for the Yakima tribe time out of mind. Too bad—-say white men—but what can be done?Progress must go on! What can and should be done? To help us decide,let's review the story since thecoming of the white man. # The Tndian Tnail It took a lot of vacant territory to make happy hunt-ing grounds for roving tribes of Forest Indians. So when the first white colonists settled along NorthAmerica's*eastern coast,they didn't encounter manynatives to dispute their claims.The few Indians theyfirst met were friendly.From them the white manlearned to grow Indian maize or corn,to travel on snow-shoes in the New England snow,to use and grow tobac-co in Virginia,to plant and cook pumpkins and squash.Colonists swapped trinkets for furs brought in by theIndians,thus building a thriving commerce with themother country. For about one-tenth of a cent an acre_the Dutchbought Manhattan Island from the Indians.The Englishmore or less continued this practice,finding it easythus to acquire land—so

FAQs

文中如何描述美国在印第安人问题上的政策时机？

文章指出美国国会下月将面对多项与印第安人相关的提案，相关决定可能像过去一个世纪那样产生重大影响。

文中提到的积极变化有哪些？

文章提到一些印第安部落在保留地上逐步规划未来，例如圣卡洛斯阿帕奇发展为亚利桑那州优秀的牧场，并通过现代设备与教育提升改善生活。

文章强调的主要问题是什么？

文中强调仍有大量印第安人贫穷、健康状况不佳、受教育不足且训练不足以照顾自己，并提到歧视问题会延续到死亡之后。

文中用哪些历史例子说明承诺被破坏？

文章提到联邦关于部落权利的保护被终止，并以雅基马印第安人的渔场条约承诺为例说明大坝将阻断河流、破坏他们的生计基础。

Sep 21, 2026

Upload by Jiven