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The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1926, Page 100

Concordia Seminary Library, St. Louis (scholar.csl.edu/lutheran_pioneer/48)

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

100

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

THE INDIAN AND THE WHITE MAN.

When the white man first came among them,
they treated him generously and kindly; but this
attitude changed when the white man’s cupidity and
frequent injustice was revealed to them. ‘Fhough
they were treacherous, cruel, and bloodthirsty to-
wards the whites in later years, it can hardly be
claimed that they were worse than the white man.
With the coming of the white man’s civilization it

with him; can we do less than lead him to that
God whose promises are never broken and whose
covenant stands sure?

PRESENT CONDITION.

The Indians are not a vanishing race. In the
last decade they increased almost 15,000 in our
country. ‘The new Government policies of taking
care of the Indian, the breaking up of tribal rela-

A Group of Moqui (Hopi) and Zuni Indians.

was evident that the red man’s must perish; but it
need not have come to an end in such a way as to
bring shame and disgrace upon the destroyer. The
Indian was driven from his home, and cruel wars
of extermination were waged against him. Again
and again did the white man break the fair promises
made to the Indian. Perfidy, injustice, and cruelty
mark practically every step on the pathway of the
downfall of the red man’s civilization. Great is the
debt we owe the Indian! We took from him his
land; can we do less than show him the way to the
land of cternal happiness? We broke our promises
to him and violated the covenants we entered into

tions and heathen customs, are making a new epoch
for the red man and are bringing about readjust-
ments which will only prove a blessing to all con-
cerned.

The Government is taking great interest in the
physical welfare of the Indian by establishing hos-
pitals and dispensaries and furnishing him with
competent physicians, nurses, and matrons.

The Government and the churches are sharing
the responsibility of educating the Indian. A total
of almost 65,000 Indian children are attending
some school. Industrial education is emphasized in
the Indian schools for very obvious reasons. About