Canada and her Natives.

Maori Record : a journal devoted to the advancement of the Maori people, Volume I, Issue 5, 1 November 1905, Page 6

Canada and her Natives.

HOW SHE PROVIDES FOE THEM AND FOSTERS THEIR FUTURE. (From John Foster Fraser’s “Canada As It Is.”) The Canadian Government watches over the Red Indians with the solicitude of a father. There are still roving tribes who have never submitted to control; but their life is not so comfortable as those who have. The tribes which have sworn fealty to the Dominion are well looked after. Great tracts of country are reserved for them where they farm; they receive a money allowance, and twice or three times a week they receive a supply of flour and meat. The Indian reserves I visited were admirably controlled. Canadian-Indians are slowly increasing in number. The native schools I saw had no enthusiastic reports to give, for the Indian does not take kindly to the restraints of civilisation. Still, everything is done to improve them. The most useful work is seen at the industrial and boarding schools, established in several of the provinces, and herewhere the children can be removed from the influence of their elders—least something is accomplished to raise them from utter degradation. Where Indians have shown a superior intelligence the Government has allowed them to leave the reserves and lead independent lives. The results, however, have suggested such experiments to be premature. The Department of Indian Affairs gives the case of the Six Nations

as an illustration. The conditions on their reserve with respect to equipment for the pursuits of their calling, their dwellings and farm buildings, compare not unfavourably with the average obtaining among other agricultural communities. An agricultural society, controlled by themselves, holds yearly ploughing competitions and annual shows, at which exhibits could well compete with those of any ordinary township fair. They have an organisation for the conduct of public affairs, including boards of health and education, with duly appointed executive officers. Religious services are conducted at some sixteen points on the reserve. They furnish a considerable contingent to the county militia, and are accompanied by a brass band from the reserve when they go into camp. Despite these evidences of an advanced form of civilisation, when the spirit of citizenship is sought, it is found that these Indians, so far from taking advantage of the provisions of the Advancement Act, as a step towards enfranchisement, cling tenaciously to tribal customs which tend to perpetuate their position as a distinct community of a separate race. There are over a hundred thousand Indians in the Dominion. Their health is fairly good, and though the population is increasing, the rate of mortality seems to threaten the extinction of one or two bands at no very distant date, without any particular reason being apparent for such a condition of things. There seems to be some idiosyncracy of constitution in some particular tribes reluctant to accommodate itself to changed conditions of life, and it can only be hoped that in their case, as with the majority, the turning point will soon be reached. The annual value of farm produce grown by the Indians is over 1,000,000 dollars; fishing and hunting yield nearly 1,000,000 dollars; over 500.000 dollars is got in other ways, whilst 1.250.000 is earned in wages. There are few mechanics or artisans among them. Their most congenial employments are those of working for fishing companies or canneries, herding cattle, freighting, guiding sportsmen and tourists, and perhaps their next preference is for something in connection with the lumbering industry, either working in the camps or saw-mills streamdriving, or lading vessels. However, they readriy adapt themselves to circumstances, and in the neighbourhood of towns the younger people are to be found in considerable numbers in the factories. In the vicinity of railways they work at the depots, or as section-men, arid in agricultural districts as farm labourers, or at pulling flax or gathering hops or fruits. In fact, turn their hands to anything that offers. One of my most interesting visits was to the Blood Reserve in Alberta. It is pleasantly situated between the Belly and St. Mary rivers, and runs in a southern direction for about forty miles to within fourteen miles of the United States boundary. It contains an area of over 540 square miles, or some 354,000 acres of excellent grazing land. The population of Bloods is over 1100. The death-rate is higher than the birth-rate, the mortality being due chiefly to scrofula and consumption. I found little wheat, but there was excellent hay being grown, and this sells at an average price of £1 a ton. For ten years the Bloods have been raising cattle. The herd now numbers over 3300, and at a

recent round-up the men branded 630 head of calves, and had it not been for a severe snowstorm in May this number would have been very much greater. The Indian Department sent 150 head of heifers, which were issued on the loan system to Indians, and thirty-two men became cattle-holders for the first time. Twenty pure-bred pedigree bulls and two stallions were also sent by the Department for use among the Indian cattle and horses. None but purebred pedigree bulls have been used in the herds, and the results undoubtedly .show it, not only in the quality of the stock, but in the weight of steers killed for beef. The amount received for these beef animals was over 8300 dollars. The demand for Indian ponies still keeps up, and during last year about 1200 were sold, which brought in a sum of about 9500 dollars, the largest amount ever received by these Indians as an income from their horses. I paid a visit to the Church of England boarding school, and though the youngsters were clean, I was told that it was difficult to get pupils. Mr James Wilson, the Indian agent, reported that educational work is beginning to tell, and last year in the “round-up” party of thirteen Indians six were graduates from these schools, and their work would compare favourably with that of any white lad of the same age brought up on a large ranch. Mr Wilson added that the Indians, both young and old. show a willingness to work, and titer© is never any difficulty in getting them to work if remuneration is in sight. Progress, as among all uncivilised natives, is not rapid, but it is there, and for the future it will be to the cattle industry that we must look for any advancement. Mr Wilson could see no good reason why, under careful management ,the herds of cattle at present in their possession should not place a large number of them, within a very reasonable period, in a self-supporting state.