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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul ciich6. il est film6 A partir de Tangle supirieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas. en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent ia m6thode. ' errata d to It e pelure, pon A n 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 t • ^^ L 0~ C M AH- N E- TOO (Great Spirit.) OO- ME ME (The Pigeon.) ((Hi/'J/'J SYLLMiU: U OUR INDIANS." jp^BcHvcrcb before the^^*^^ 111 ■fc iVJl ■ \ i,rlJi iiil rfi 9J DECEMBER dsr. 1884. l^I'^OPEiiSOl^ IDANITOHA (foOLIiPIGW. WINN I PE(i: .MANliOI'.A KKEE I'HKSS I'lifM . I 8 S 4 / J OUR INDIANS. DISCUSSION AS TO THEIR CONDITION SND WANTS. Tl'o foUdwiiig I'liipi'i' was read l)y the Hev . Dr. Mryco at a iint'iit weekly meet- ing of the Y. M. V. A . During the sunuuer it was my lot to he for a coiisitlerabh^ tiim' in the country ly- int^ to the east of us, known as the Lake of the Woods and liainy River distiicta. Thoui^h now the Canadian racilie Mail- way ruuij through the retriou du its way from Winni[»en;^ht Ojibwu thi'ir way westward and arc pnivt-d to i)o imr iiiilv liy their trailitiuiiH one racu, l)iit as Well l>y tlieir 8|ieal\iiii4 tuiii^iies, which dialects of a cnmmnn laiij^uaiie riiiiii', KH(|iiiiiiaH\, iv I! In liaiiH lit Kritii It ( '(UUinlilu MO IK{ .tl.V.'O •.'ti.l);".l Total !t7,Oo7 This evening, hnwcvoi. I intmul to Winnipeg may in a L^eneral way ho said spoak oliiolly (it the neirly .'!."), 000 Indians t(» Ito tho meetin;^ place of Crees and lirst named, and whom, from onr havins^ as (Janadiana. entered into treaties witli them, I speak of as "our Indiana." i;i;nm!\l < "M«;tI()N. A very decided chanu'e has t.dvrn placo ill tho condition (tf those tribes since my arrival in the Nortliwest in 1H71. It is true at that time many of the Indians were far fnnn bein;^ (Witirely aava'j;e. The Indians of Si. I'eter'.i, for example, on the Ived liiver, seemL.l nearly as far ad- vanced aj tiiey are ro-day. For tiffy or a hundred years the Indians of this dis- trict have been under the inlluenco of Eunjpeans. Much of their inti'icoiirse with tho whites .vas hurtful, yet the Hudson's Bay Company, with a wise self-interest, if from no I\ii,dier motive, treated the Indian well ; did not allow him to !,'o very deej) in his use of the firewater —the l»ane of his race -and gave him credit, for such Mipjilies in advance as he needed, a trust vrry rarely aliusiid. The Hudson's Bay Company Indian, in- deed, almost formed adi.stiiict typeof I'ed man. He was an ea.sy-L(oing, light-hearted mortal, slirowd in trade, agile on foot or in canoe, fond of his ease, and taking ou very much the character of his immedi- ate superiors, good or V)ad as they chanced to be. In IH71 all the tribes were in a ferment. The (»ld order had passed awav. What was the new to be ? The INItlAN.s WKUi; UKSTI,KSS. I remember well the exorliitant de- mands, the long deliates, the Indian fickleness and sulky grumbling that the commi.ssioners met with when in (Jover- uur Archibald's time at Lower Fort (Harry and Manitoba Post Treaties One and Two were made, and when (Mivernor Morris negotiated at Northwest Angle Treaty Three. The Indians were un- willing to allow even the surveyors to subdivide the land, and the joint expedi- tion which I remember well seeing in 1872, which on behalf of Great Britain and the United States surveyed tlie 49th parallel, was tlireatene(i. For several Chippewas. Tlie French voyageurs who caiiH' nortliw»'st from Lake Sui)erior, met as far east as Lake of the Woods, as they had already met at Sault Ste. Marie and Michilimackinaw, .mother family of In- dians calling themselves Nad(»ue.ssiw. Taking the last syllaljle of this word tlie voyageurs gave it the French form — Sioux a name still retained by the Ua- kotaa. On Liiko of the Woods is still pointed out Massacre Island, whore a band of Siou,\ loO years ago put to death a priest and [lart}' of the French exphn- ers. It was the .VS.slNir.OINKS, one of the tribes of Sioux confederacy, whicli liv.'d on the south side of the river bearing their name emptying into the P River at Wiinii[»eg. According to i- .lop Ti;ira!4a their name means .\ssini- iny; I>\van-Si.iux. So far back as 1<»'.>7 the Assiniboines are s|)oken of as having separated from the Sioux, a *'hMig time ago." After their sei»aration, as to winch there are .several theories, they be- came friendly with the (Jroes, and largely intermarried w ith them. They are now- reduced to a few reninants in the south- western portion of the Northwest Terri- tories, one of their most interesting l)ands being ou the reserve i^n Bow River, 40 miles west of Calgary. rili; IJLACKKKET Are Indians living at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and Iiave been treated with by our government. Tiiey seem related in language and tradition with the tribes upon the Pacific Slope. Several other [;-3oples, such as 15lo()(.ls, Piegans and Sarcees, occupy the country with tlieiii aion-^ the course of tlie Bow River. Did wi! aim at giving a .--ketch of all the Indians of British North America, I should further have lo call your atten- tion to the Tinne or Chippewayans, lying north of tlie Crees, and relatetl in several respects with the Indians across the Rocky Mountains, and still lurther north to the Es(iuimaux, extenJnig along the ■Mi l»<» Jiitain yt'iii'H iifttT till' "ocnjditioii ut" llu- Nnitli- WOHt ))}' (.'iUlllllil, tilt: lliiltL■ln■« of ill) illlMCIIM tliaHutfl' WITH foi\viii(k(l to ( Jttiivvii li_\ iht^ (loveiiio) of Miinitnlpii. Oil the kh of Mairh, 1^7;;, iiii uij^iiU jii titioii to the iJovtiiior was forwaiiliMl liy Ucv. .John Ak'Nalil*, I'lts- b^'tefiau Minister at Tall htiiiii(i.uw (Jhul- stone), tlieii the farthist piiint <»/ Huttln- iiHMit. 'I'ho anxious pastor with •')'■> oiln-rtt coniphiiiietl of llii' t Im .lU'nini,' ; Ititudc of the Indiana and of tin; er veiy well that in IS72 the Sioux at Poita;^e la I'la- rie were .so doniiniciini,' tliat the .settlers dare not refuse tluii lieuiand.s and were in constant fear. Tli'' repoits ofteM canards — of luunler ami tlieft on the plains were of weekly occurrence in Win- nij)e<,' in those days. The Indian (|Uestion was re«4ai(led as a umst dithcult one hy our statesmen. We were told that Cana- dians had never thalt with huL,'e bodies of Indians; thai, IW.ickfeet, Bloods and Sarcees, and even the IMain Crees were bent on nii.-T0 ."^iiniisoii, Tn'rtiv II. 1 71. Liikc Maui tdlia, iSov.n.s, M(j(»r.e Moun- tiiin -IM hiiiiiiiHOB. 'rc,i.\ III. ISTU. Lako of the U II (Is, Itaiiiy l(i\ cr and Noiid, lari. II .Vi,( 'HI siiuarc st|iiuif iiiileh) i'(i7;t Morris. Trral.v \'. I.s7.'i. Lake Winiii- lie:,? anil IUm r Sn-kiilrlie- w jii (art a |il'.iH/0 Hi|uar« iiiile.^l .'{|^;^ .MurriH. w i;>ri:u.\ ,\iHi,ir<" iiiilr I tiCI'i Morris. Treaty VII l,s77. Hlurkt'cit, Mow KiMi (.Ilia ;j.,(H)0 siinari; miles) 7(Wl Laird. 21.2 !» KtiHidiiit .'^iou\ "JOan i!i:si;iiVKs. All these treatuis promise certain re- serves to the Imiians. In most cases these wei'e sideetid after the Treaty by the joint action M the (Jo'ernment airent and the bands themselves. The reserves are given on the basis of (140 acres for each Indian family of live. All the lands of the reserve, however, belong to the band. The follow ing is the nund)er of reserves held l>y the several bands : — Treaty I 8 •' II 10 '• m 63 •' V. 21 102 •• IV ■\ •' VI not VII obtained. ."^ioux. J Once upon the reserves the chiiif ofthe tribe, elected liy the Indians tliemselves, but who must have the approval of the (lovennient, has a sort of rule or jireced- enee. Kach agency is divided up into a number of districts, and over each dis- trict an agent is appointed who must be a resident of the district, ami whose duty it is to give his sole time and thought to the advancement and comfort of the In- dian. When Treaties One and Two were made they were not so favorable as those afterwards agreed on. One and Two were revised, and now it may be .said the terms of all the treaties are virtually the same. The following are the leading fea- tures : — Moiit^ payiiK^tits: At Ti-oiity, *rj l(. ciic'li of liaiiil. Aiimmlly tlinriiaftor, Jf>n to tmcli <»f IxukI. Aiimiiilly, t'licli huiul cliief, ^'2."); tliruo Huliiinliiiiitu chii'fH, .*ir> each. Articlt'H proiiiisod: Jjfl.TiOO Wdi'tli nf amiiiunitidii ;iii. i plout^li fur 10 faiiiilii-H. Otliur a<{t'iiMiItiiral ami lui-chariical iiii- ploriuMits ami tooln. l*riviJoj,'i).s ^raiitod; — A aclioitl on nacli ivsoi'\t'. Nu intoxicating' liipior to t>i' sold on luHcrvo. lii<{lit to HhIi and hum on inioccupiod land of iho district. HOI'KKiri. KKATIRKS. Anionuf the most c!:oorinf^ things in the nei^otiations of all the treaties was the earnest di^sirc of tlie Indians for the edu- cation of their children. InTreatj* Three this is euihoilied in tin; followin;^ words: "Her Majesty agrees to maintain schools for instruction in such reserves hereby maile as to Her (lovernment of Her Dominion of Canada may seem ad- visable, whenever the Indians of the re- serve may desire it." I am glad to be able to state from the i)est authority that the Indians not only desire schools on tiieir reserves, but are elanmrous for them. Of course there will be ditliculty in maintainiu'^ regular attendance of the children, but this is a thing not unknown among whites. While I am not among the illusionists, who re- gard the rediwan in his savage state as a hero of the Fennimore Cooper type, yet 1 know from many years' hearsay and experience that in intellectual ability the Indian is much above the average of savage races. He has a good eye; he learns to write easily; has a remarkably good memory as a rule, and while not particularly strong as a reasoner, he will succeed in the study of languages and the pursuit of the sciences. Of course the school begun on an Indian Reserve must be in most cases of the most primitive kind, particularly initil the wandering habit is overcome. As illustrating the native aptness of the Indians I may state that I have before me remarkable ex- amples of their "picture writing." Tiiis is so ingenious that an Indian ''hief will keep the whole account of his deal- ings, and that of his tiibi-, with the (iovernment with al^olutu exaetnt-nn. llefore nu! are the tran.sactions of !\Ia- wintopene.ss, cliief of the iJainy Kiver In- diauH. On a single page not larger than a shuut nf' oolscap are the transactionn of several years. I am sure this system, which is one of very simple entry, does not occupy one tenth of the spaei' lillod in tho (iovernment reconls of the same ad'aM's. (lovernoi' Morris, t.ill ami slen- der, is recognizable with a gift in his hand; each year has a mark known to the writer: The chief recording the fact that he has received each yi-ar $'* boinity and i^'Jo salary, represents an opc^n palm, a piece of money, and three upright crosses each meaning $\i): his Mag and nuulal are represented; his oxen and cattle are rec- ognizalile at least, and so on with his phtugli, harrow, saws, augers, etc. Tho same chief, noted for his craft, repre- .seiits himself between (he tinder and the teacher, looking in each direction, show- ing the need rif having an eye on both. Interesting examples of Indian bark let- ters, petitions, etc., of a pictorial kind, may be found in Sir .lohn Lubbock's " Origin of Civilization." Lying before me also, is a number of i)aintings in colors, done by an Indian artist, and though not likely to be mistaken for those of Mu- bons or Turner, yet they are inteiesting. Another mo.st inteiesting feature of In- dian intelligence is tlm widespread use among them of the SVI,I,.\III(' CIIAH.VCTKIl. This is a system of characters invented after 1840 i)y Ri-v. .lames Evans, at the time a Methodisi Indian missionary to Huilsoii's I'ay. Since that date it has spread especiallj' among the Crees— even far uj) the Saskatchewan. It is used extensively by the Indians in com- municating with one another on birch bark letters. It may be learneil by an intelligent Indian in an afternoon or two, being vastly simpler than our character. The IJritish and Foreign Bible Society, the Church of England and Roman Catholics use this syllabic character in printing Ini'.ian books. When Lrird Dutierin was in the Northwest he heard of tho character for the (irsttime, and re- marked that some men had been buried in WY'stminster Abbej^ f^r doing less than the inventor of the syllabic had done, and during the late visit of the Britis.i .Asso- "•iation. a number of the most distinguish- ed m-'mbers expre«sed themselves as sur of hin tli'iil- witli tlio ! OXIutllfSH. )iia of Ma- ny Kivfi lii- \ liii'm'i' tliiiii ti'iiiiHiu'tioiin tliJH Hystt'in, entry, does HpHcc lillod of tlu^ HIllllO 11 iiiid Hlt'ii- <{ift ill his CIIOWII to tilt' hi' fact that, I hoiiiity and )(;n piiliii, a (I'iiiht croHHOB 11(1 iiHMial ari) attli) arc roc- iiii with luH «, etc. Tho oraft, ivpre- idcr and tin* t'ction, al.ow- yo on hotli. ian bark let- :torial kind, in Lubhot'k'H Lyiiii,' hofore ii»;a in colors, d thoiiL,'li not lose (»f Mu- intercstiii'^. itiirc of In- losjircad use crs invented <]vaiiH, at tlie liasioiiary to date it has the Croea- jwan. It is ians in com- er on y)irch arnod hy an riiooii or two, ir character, ible Society, and Roman cliaiacter in VVlieii Lord !St he heard time, and re- been buried oingless than laddone, and Britis.i Asso- it distiiiL,Miish- selves as .sur piirtcd .It thirt invention of which tliey had not |irevioii.Hly heard. .\h uiie nioie itiHt.iiicc of the adaptaljility of tlie Imlian let me refer to tlie • HINOOK I MIOON lined in trade on the ntlier .side nf tlie liocky .MoiiiitaiiiH, in Kiitish (.'uluinliia. It iH a comliiii.itioii of Ciiinonk and Cl.it- Hiip linliaii dialeet.s. witli Kieiicli .md Knifli.'sh wmkLs intiodiRed. It is a laii- ^naye ii.ted in liarter all aloiii,' the Piicific sh'pe. It reseiiilile.s in iimc the " lintiua franca of the .M»'-|)iiss"' is (/'hiiiook for eat ; '" Kiii'^'- chautshiiian " is a KiiiLj (Jcin^'e man, or KiiLjIishiiian ; '■ liostoii " di'sinnatcH an .\mericaii ; " Potlatch " is a '^oft ; " I'as- iooks" is a Kienchin.in ; *" I'i.ili ship " is a steamer, a corruption of lire-slii[) ; " ( 'os!io " is a pii^, from Kruiich cochon : "Tahia" is a dollar, and -so on. The t.'rmatioii and use thri'n'.4liout the diH'er- eiit tribes upon the I'acihc slope of a coininoii laiii,'iiage indicates shrewdness and adaptability. I liavi^ '^ivcii thise various imlicatioiis of the intellectual power of the Indian for a purpose. The Indian beins,' seen to be thus mentally endowed, I wish to ask whether he is not worth Christianizing and ediicatiiiL; ( Is it eiiouyh to see to it that he has as much as the horse or cow of a respectalile farmer, viz. -food and shelter '. Is he to be iCLjarded as well tieatifd when the Cxovernment pays some attention to his material welfare '. Is the Indian (pies- tion solved when you Imve him in the condition of the Indian of tlie " ^ood old Hudson's Hay Coinii.uiy time " -a trapper and voyageur, whose -self-interest it is not [to shoot lii.s white masters ! I say decid- ledly not. The Indian is cai)able of more. [What then '! He should be ClIKI.sTIAMZKI). Who is to do this ? Plainly not the Igoverniiient. Who then? We, the iChristian whites ought to oh) it. I will Igive you a few figures. In treaties 1, 2, 13 and 5, there were in ISiSi, as shown in Iretuina, iu)minally : lommi Cattinljcs ' 1.171 "liscnpalians '.i,'2V)'.} ■byterians i;^(i hodiats 910 d' r..8i9 I'UKans ., 1014 I. e hImhii oni? Iiiiir iV'KttnMoii )f iii.i;tt And when I say iiomi dly one iialf ('hii>tiaiis, I am giving a ] o|iortioii too fa\oiii''le by far. Last sii iiimr Indian families came to nie at \{ t Portage U> have children bajiti/iMl, in whom the only trace of Christianity I could tiiid was a sort of idea that they belonged t(t the white man's party. .\mongthe Indiaiisof lln-se treaties there were in I SSI seventy seven ca.se8 of |»oly- gamy. Now I say this showing is a shame to us as Christians. It is a dis- gi.ice to the churches that after si.xty years of ..perati.iiis in the especial ground covered by these treaties these thiiius should be. I speak the more freely in this ease incanse of tlii! laigt r cliuicliea of this land my own cl'irchin itsan.xioty to foUiiw the white ettlers has been shamefully remiss in its duty to the In- dians. In do/,.|is . Ni'Xt I Would link your iittoiition to tlit> t'lliicatioiial t'.ii'ilii it'H, it' I may so tall tlu'iii, aHorili'ii tlii^ Imlniiis. An alitady hIiowii, tilt' (ioviiriiiiu'iit i« |ili'di,'ttl to jn'ovidc Nclioois. Tlin Mystrui follnwtd, until vi'iy lately, lias l)t'fii to induce tlie IndiiiiiH to ortjct till' loj; walls of the Hcliuol houst'H. and then for the (ioverii- inont to |iro\ide f*\iH^ to iNnnplete the huildiiij,'. 'I'he !;!|IM) i.s not Miillieient to tiiimh t\n' hiiildini,', and so the Iniildin;^ lio8 unlinished This is a ciinipli! nisc. Iletwetii ihe scylla of Indian iie'^li.'i'iu't! uiiii the charyhdis of the ( io\ einnieiit ByHtoiu tilt! school is lost. No woniler tho iiHt'iit in lSS;i has to report as follows : "Mawinto|ieiiess, haiidiiiL,' nio a fopy of tho treaty, said that if I could show him wlioii! they were rei|uiretl to laiild school houses, that he would ^'ive that new house (tiointiic^ to ,'i hnildiii'.; on tin; hank of tho river) for that purpose, hut thai if thoio is iiothiii'j; iihoin, their huildiii;^ school-houses in the Treaty, he will uovor do so, So loll!,' as tin; sun coin'scs in tho lioa veils. " ,\iiy l.iwyei would, in roadiiiL; the treaty, ii'.'ree with the chief that the ( lovurniiieiit is hoiind td erect the Hchool-lioiise and cniy on a school. Tho (iovornmeiit. coiisuU'nng the trilling' coHt of a h>L,' .school-ho.idc, should have erected one on each chief reserve. I am told that now the (iovi-iinueiil admits tho necessity of iiiinipdi)ir,e attention to the matter. Piihlic opinion should ur<,'e the erection of a school-house on every roHorve where .say ten children may be pei cent, of the sch uitloct IMI hi- (if this whiiK' )!(.! iili.iiiioU'r tWUlll'IM HUp- •liciH an- su|'- uTf miM.HJiiiiH uiiiltluycil l»y ainl tlii'ii the iiMiiii lor (>a<:h ■lllly UM'IM'^l'. lU 81'liiMil thi' aiiiiuni to thu 11(1 riMchi'.^ 42 ■ivo iicliij^'h U8 1)0 imti'd thill •acInM' ifiulios th:it >:<:!()(l ia v\ I ulso my ■ Kiialily '^<>n(\ Hiu'h iiahii'ios. h)\\ iivi'iaj^i'. lii(liaii» haVL' ivr for fi'iiiu 50 U all' i^oiiil, 'il (low 1 1 and and ill tin- tirt lu' yiarly avu- (m, IH .s-hi><>l.s iDVV taki! 1<>, iivorayo than Oithwt'st !ii lave yiiii, tli>' il rc'CL'ivus till' d tllO ( !nV>'Vll frnlii l\Hi 11 s 8:!0U. I'K. the ))()(ii' ic ndiaii teaclKTs long those u ho the hvst throi' le who lias not lat a noun i.< in i.s fre<[!'U'ntly led an nttei- whose attain to allot lu'i inetic showed auduleiit ave- ei's thoroniihly iriiiL( ordinary Dig only -<• oi' 1 told there his jate reiiuireil. have covev. Is certiho; ir s to iniag of the seh hoiiK()rt eret'fed liaVi' iio temhtTM at |m'»'h ent. From the fii'tN jiiHt luentioiu-d the IndiaMN \vhii'»» these vaeancies are are not inueh more t" !(,■ pitied than wheic there lire teiieheiH. riiK i.KMi;i'N ThiH Htate of thingrt niii«l not eoiitinue if the Indian Sehoul is to he anything elm) than a disgrace. To improve tlu' eliiHs of teachers the tifht thin; \^ to give them a salary on whieh they euii hve. The orilinai} Indian s<'hool teacher in (Mitario does not gi'iierally nx-eive nmre than i!!2(>0 OI t<;'.(Ht a year, it is tine I have known many teaciheis in large eoiintry sehools in Ontario receiving no more tliMii that ainoiinl . Init then tlu'V ol)tained li 'aid at s| or ,s|.r)(l per wi^ek. Teachers in Maiiitoha pnl)lie schools re- ceive ntl jicr cent mori' tliaii in tin- .same e' iss of scliools ill ( (ntaiio And oiir t acheis need it, nayiiig as tiny iiiu.st (hi «t;{ or irit a week for hoard. What hope then of u'etting ;i ri'spectalile tt .'leher toi' our Imiian sciiool at S'JOO or ."HI'.OO ' Kather from the lonelincH.s of t iie linlian reserve, from the disagifciddi' iiatnie of the Work, having to deal a.s tic teieher does with tin- nncoulh and the nneulti- vated, he slmnld have a hoiin.-i. I should say no Inilian ti'achiT .should receivi' h^s.s than S400 per aiiiinm, and tiie school house lioiild he so coiiHtruct.d as to give him a living mom for himself, as accoin- motlatioii is lianl to get and 1 have known an Indian teacher compelled ti. walk four miles from the sclioollcu^e to find rest for the soh> of his foot I wonhl say further that the minimum salary of 8KMI should lie given to tUi.' teacher of every Indian school, wlietiier the school belong to the Mission or the (iovernment directly. In this case, how- ever, I would reipiire that Indian te.ichers slnmld pass a regnlar examin.ition, like aiiytither pulilic .school teachei.s. I would insist that no teachei' .should iiarticipateto the e.xtent of 81 in the (lovernment grant unless he i)os.sesses the reipured certih- cate. If this weri' reipiiied of every teacher, then the mere matter of how he is ajijiointed would he of no moment, his certificate heiiig a (Jcvornmeiit certifi- cate. That the educational condition of the Indians is very unsatisfactory is seen in the fact that last y«ar only SG.SoO.ddi was spent for schools among the ^U,r>20 Treaty Indians. INIUSTKIAL IMtOOKKS.s. Hue of the chief obstacles to the In- dian's progress is his wandi'riiig habits. That his character may tie niatnially im- proved, hi' must have a pi'iiiiaiient tUelliti;^. Iiit'u ill thewiguiiin \f moNt du- Kriiietivc of rc'jiil.ir halnts. I*' the Indian can lie iiidiici d to ficipiciil his H'serv'e, hi' w ill Mion obtain II hoiiHc; witli a liet- ter hotihe he will hecotne nioii' doim'Mtie; becoming h> of a nomad he will incline to cultiv.ite ' h' soil at least as a u'lir- diinr, and by and by he may pel haps be- i a cattle raiser or agricultniist. Thi» sfciiied he call lie wioiinlit upon or at least his cluldu'ii by the missionaiy and till' .schoolmahter. Hi ileailv loves a pow MOW. and tlin hal ir i easily trans formed into a hse for uther public '^aih- cringH. Let ine note sbortly ti'atuics of progress since the trei.t -> weie made M.WIToHA AUKM'V (lltK.^TlHS 1, li, '.i, .'»). The llnliaiis of Tieaty 'A i.e. I hose, east of Like of the Woods, has I' not, made iiimh progii'Hs in a'..,iiciiltiii(' I was told list Slimmer that tlu-re is not a pound of bill ter madi for Ha!< witlniia hundre'I milc^ of Uat I'oit.c.e. I am not able to dispute the statement On the Hiiiny lliver, however, there is an agriciihiiial country uikuii passed. The other iiieaii.s oi supjiort houewr aif ra- ther a'linulani The eliasi' ath^ros a fair livii.g to the iiidi.iii, for theii are few settlers to destroy tic game. The killing of stiiigcon oh Mainy Hiver m spring is said to be a slaughter nest terribl j to witness. Tiie thickwo.id .supplies jileiity of berries ir. duly and .\ugiisl In .\iigiist and .Sipteiiibci the usual haunts of the Indians are deserted for tlie bountiful supply of wilil rice ut'on the lakes. Farming thus being le.s.vi neeessiiy. is not likely to be extensively followed Vet the Indians arc generally on rln ir Reser- ves, are annually paid upon tlieiii now, and encouraged to look ti[ioii thcin as their homes. The statistics show a con- sider.iljle incre-ise too in agriculuii.d pro- ducts. In the Manitoba agency tlicre is less wheat grown \-y the Indi.ans than six years ago. The following figures showthis: :\,H{U bii.slu'ls in IHJ.S; ;!. Ml! laishels in ISHl: :;,7-J0 bushel in l.SS.'i. In potatoes tlieie is a great increase, vi/ : 11,482 bushels in IMT'^: :!7,."22 bu-hels in IH.Sl; and 4l.2!t'-' bushels in IS.S!! There were 1,220 acre.-, cultivated in LSXl. :ii,d l.oOl in IHS;'). Tlie progress i.s no doubt slow, but when I state that in thi.s agency there were only 7"0 houses in 1878 and that there were l,8."i4 in 188;}, an increase of l.'{r)per cent in live ye:'is, it wil! lie seen that the fcimdation f^r fntiin i r. '^ress is im being wull liiid. It is a thiiii,' doserviug of spocifil roniark in this atrency that thu ll.:!!] lutliiina so iioarly supportod them- selves with thoii' small (loveriiment al- lowance that only .^'T'^i.'iO needed to he spent for tiie relief of destitution — an aina/.iii'4 contrast witli the western super- intentleney. In TKKATIKS 4, 0, 7, great ell'orts have been put forth to teach the Indians agriculture. It is a ipiestion whetlier the results have been commen- surate with the amount expended. Inl87!) a large number of farm intstructors was apjiointed to reside among the western liulians and direct them in agricul- ture. Much amusement was caused at the time by tiie choice of some for these jiositiojis, wlm to say the least were amateur farmers. This was, how^n^er, ])robably inevitable. These fai'iners have btien at work four ur tive years, and the exiiense of their maintenance is heavy. There were in 1883 twenty-six farms scattered over the Territories. The ex- penses of these W.I- §33,777, and salaries to the Instructors .un'Unted to §47,002. The total cost for 1883 of thode farms was §80,8;)!i. The leading items of pro- duce raised were 15,854 bushels of bar ley and 4!),30l bushels of potatoes. I have tixed the full maiket price on all raised on these farms during the year, and lin.3.73!».05. Tiie deficit on the farms thus is upwards of §17,000, no allowance whatever Vjeing made for tiie Indian labor employed. Of course it is an ea>y matter to tind fault, .and that is not my purpose in this dis- cussion, but it seems very <|Uestionable, now tliat the farms are started, and that tliere are loci] ;igents having in charge a cert;aiii number >f reserves, whether the nearly !s5il.(M)() paid annually to farm in- structors uuuht nITl KK incurred for destitute Indians. The farms are a long way iiu'.eed from sup- plying their wants. The (lovernment fei-rl? the Indians, issues regular rations to tluiii. 1 am well aware the disap- pearance of the buifalo has been a tre- iiiendnus loss to tiie plain tribes, but yet I am astuunded in stating th.^t in 1883 there was expended among the 21,209 Indians of this superintendemy the im- mense sum of §480,1(53. ( >r this sum §40!>,248,32 was paid to one hrm, that of I. (J. Baker it t'o. These sums (h) not include, it must be remembered, annui- ities and t)ther yearly amounts paid to those Indians of say §120,000 UKue. The striking disproportion iietween the §784.- (iO paid ni 1883 in Manitoba Superinten- cy for relieving destitution among some 10,000 Indians, and that of well nigh half a million dollars among some 21,000 In- dians in the western superintendency is startling. 1 again state thac the circum- stances, especially of the Blackfeet in Treaty 7 are exceptional, but I also as- sert that it becomes the duty of our legis- lators and rulei's to see that the expendi- ture of so large a sum of money spent in an Indian country, away from a healthy and impartial public ojiinion, should be carefully encjuired into. I'KOMIHITION. One of the chief means of i)res(irving the peace, and of giving our Indian, popula- tion opportunity to advance is prohibition of spirituous li(piors. Not only is it illegal to sell or give an Indian strong drink, but in our Northwest Territories it is a crime to introduce stmng drink at all, so completely prohibitory is the law. The ravages made by intoxicating li(|Uors in organized society ;ire terrible. What Vvould they be in an Indian country ! Hear the decided words of one of the chiefs of Treaty Three when making the treaty with (ioveiiior Morris : " As re- gards the tire-water, 1 do not like it and I do not wish any house to be built to have it sold." Again; "Shall anyone in- sist on bringing it where we are I should break the treaty." .Vgain : "If it was in iny midst the tire water would have spoiled my happiness, an«i 1 wisl-i it to be left far away from where I am." At the time of making the Blackftiet Treaty of 1877- after the prohibitory law had bei.'n for several ye.ars in force, one of the chiefs said to (Jovernor Laird : "The great mother sent Staniixotokon (Col. McLeod) and the joolice to j)ut an end to the trathc in tire-water. 1 can sleep now safely. Before the arrival of the ])olice, when I laid my head down at night, every sound fright- ened nie ; my sleep was broken ; now T can sleep sound andam not afraid." The experience of Indian and white since has been immensely in favor of this law. The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway through the Prohibitury Liijuor Territory gave as severe a test to the law as it could have had. It has been the universal testimony that no railwa in so tory a itory tempo societ till in,* the only b tectini organi In as to knows the I' ed Howt sutl'eri be bet intenc Ebent contid ic sums do Mot umbered, uiuuii- uouuts j)aid to ),000 uune. The -ween the $784.- ^ba Supeiinteii- »n ainony some of well uif^h half wme 21,000 Jn- leriiiteiiiiency is hac the eiicum- e Blaukfeet in but r also as- 11 ty of our legis- lat tile expendi- iioiioy sjteiit in FiDui a liealthy lion, should be [)n'S(u-ving the ludiai'. jtopula- !o is prohibition <»t only IS it Indian strong r'est Territories strong drink at Dry is the law. icating licjuors ■rnble. What liiui country '. of one of the en making the ris : •' As re- nt like it and ;o be built to liall anyone in- e are I should n : "If it was er would have I nisk it to be ;im." At the rvt Treaty of law had beiMi one of the .aird : " The xotokon (Col. j)ut an end to can sleep now rival of the my head sound fright- as broken ; ni not afraid." n and white II favor of this the Canadian ) Prohibitory 3vere a test to had. It has nony that no railway on this continent has been built in so orderly, expeditious and sat'sfac tory a manner. Instead of ilie proliib- itory liijuor law being looked u[»on as a temporary law for a primitive state of society, to be done away when settlers till in, Canadian sentiment is coming to tlie point of s.iying that it should not only be retained, but extended as a pro- tecting aegis over our so-called highly organized state of society as well. I.N'DIAN ACKNTS. In closing, 1 have a word or two to say as to our Indian agents. t]veryoin^ knows that the "Indian (Question" in the I'nited States has been largely creat- ed by the rascality of Indian agents. However a few years ago we may have suUered from the same, we seem now to be better served. Of the Indian super- intendent of treaties 1, 2, o and 5, Mr. Ebenezer McCoU, I can speak with great contidence. He seems enthusiastic in doing everything to have the Indian ])rogress, that may lie in his power. He is very mucli interested in the moral and intellectual advancement of the Indian. With the Indian agents of this Manitoba Superintendeiicy 1 am acijuainted eitlier by personal knowledge or accurate report. I believe them to be an honest, |)ains- taking and respectable band of officers. I have to thank a number of the Oovern- ment officials for their kindness in sup- plying me with such information as they had a right to give. As to the oiHcials and agents of the Western Superinten- dency, from Governor Dewdney down- wards, I cannot speak so surely. With some of the agents, as well as officers of the Mounted Police, I have some aci|uaintance. While some of these gentlemen are useful and reputable, I am bound to say in some cases the public opinion both in Manitoba and the Northwest is unfavorable. As in the case of inefficient missionaries and teachers I have spoken out plainly, so I would say the pruning hook should be applied wiieie it is needed in this part of the Indian service. I believe the tJovern- mont is anxious to do well by the Indians. It is almost a tradition of Conservative (Jovernments in Canada to treat the In- dian well, as the Lil)erals claim it is their forte to succeed in dealing with the new settler. Public opinion should back up the flovernment and its othcials. The Indian must not be looked upon simply as having a lower nature. There is most danger in this. We must not despair of the Indian. Routine is the d'Uidliest enemy of progress. We want the Indian to improve. We want him christianized; we want him rescued from igiutrance; we want him to beco'iie independent enough to supi>ort himself The agent in charge should be inventive; should try new plans; should encourage the Indians; should recomuiend the (Jovernment to be as liberal as possible. The agent should lead the way axe and hoe and jilough in hand, if example would induce the In- dian to try the same. Cod bless the Indian, and help us to raise him to a civilized and Christian life.