Our Way or No Way!

The "Indian Reformers" basic idea to assimilate Native Americans by teaching them to become sturdy, self-sufficient farmers and distinguish themselves only by skin color, was achieved by distributing community held lands to individual tribesmen and wiping out the Indians' native language, customs, religions, and tribal organizations.  Those who volunteered to work among the tribes to "better their lives and save their souls" were determined to bring the Indians into the mainstream of American life.

Few of these volunteers of good will knew much about the Indian cultures or spoke their language, but that was not of great importance as they lead them, or pushed them, into the white man's world.

Nathan Meeker, a misguided Indian agent who tried to lead the Utes of Colorado into a cooperative commonwealth of farmers, found only rebellion  and death.  Meeker was a new Indian agent, a visionary reformer who was bent on instant transformation of the Utes into farmers.  After arguing with a chief about the program, he panicked and called in troops on September 29, 1878.  Warriors killed Meeker and abducted his wife and daughter along with three other whites.  The Army soon ended the uprising and the hostages were released, while the Utes were driven out of their reservation. 

Those who worked among the Indians were strict moralists who opposed even the most routine traditions as the case with the Sioux braves who let the cattle provided by the government run free in order to hunt them as they had done the buffalo.  A white teacher among them demanded the government stop the revolting behavior and the commissioner of Indian affairs acted.  "It is needless to say that this bit of barbarism is a fearful hindrance to the work of civilization'"  Did he forget endless slaughter of beaver for hats by the white man??

Next time....If nothing else works, educate them.
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Today in Pioneer History: "On February 19, 1847, the first rescuers reach surviving members of the Donner Party, a group of California-bound emigrants stranded by snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.