FORTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1917. SEPTEMBER 1, 1917. SIR: We have the honor of submitting herewith the Forty-eighth Annual Report of the United States Board of Indian Commissioners for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1917. The board's field activities during the year consisted in inspections and surveys of 31 reservations, agencies, schools, and hospitals and in cooperating with the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in the letting of contracts for supplies at the Indian warehouses in Chicago and St. Louis. An inspection also was made of the Indian warehouse in San Francisco. Its office work, in addition to the routine, included investigations into and the study of several important problems affecting the Indians with special emphasis placed on the "returned-student" problem. Following is a list of the reservations, agencies, and schools visited and inspected by members of the board with their recommendations and conclusions: OSAGE INDIANS-COMMISSIONER VAUX. (Filed Feb. 9, 1917.) Osage Indians at Pawhuska, Gray Horse, and Hominy, Okla., and the Osage Indian Boarding School, at Pawhuska, J. George Wright, superintendent. (See Appendix A.) RECOMMENDATIONS. That a distinction be made between the part bloods and the incompetent full bloods, and that the part bloods be given their full share of tribal and individual property to do with it as they see fit, while greater efforts be made fully to protect the full bloods; that the oil and gas of the western portion of the reservation be conserved as an entirety for future use by the United States Government; that the trust period be at once extended for 25 years to 1956; that the Osage Indian Boarding School at Pawhuska be indefinitely continued; that the present efforts to control the liquor traffic be continued and strengthened wherever possible; that the Indians be encouraged to move onto and farm their allotments and, as an effective aid in this direction, that the congressional enactment establishing the Indian villages of Pawhuska, Gray Horse, and Hominy be modified to the end that the number of Indians living in those towns may be materially reduced. EASTERN CHEROKEES-COMMISSIONER KETCHAM. (Filed Feb. 19, 1917.) Cherokee Reservation in western North Carolina, superintendent, James E. Henderson. (See Appendix B.) RECOMMENDATIONS. That eight cottages for agency employees with families be built; that a field matron especially qualified to teach home canning to the women be detailed to this jurisdiction; that a physician, having surgical experience, be assigned to the hospital; that an assembly hall and gymnasium, an industrial building for boys, and a new horse barn be built; that more land for the school farm be provided; that the reservation boarding school be enlarged to increase its capacity. TUBERCULOSIS AMONG CHOCTAWS-COMMISSIONER KETCHAM. (Filed May 16, 1917.) Talihina Sanatorium, Choctaw Nation, Okla., and prevalence of tuberculosis among the Choctaws, Chickasaws, and other Indians of Oklahoma. (See Appendix C.) RECOMMENDATIONS. That the Talihina Sanatorium be devoted particularly, if not exclusively, to tuberculosis, and a Choctaw or Chickasaw official be attached to the hospital; that a colony for tubercular patients, who must have a change of climate, be established in Texas or New Mexico under the supervision of a reliable member of the Choctaw or Chickasaw Tribe; that a vigorous campaign of education in every Indian community, to awaken the Indians to a realization of their peril, be started at once, and the necessary literature be printed in the Choctaw language and distributed immediately. EUFAULA INDIAN SCHOOL-COMMISSIONER KETCHAM. (Filed May 16, 1917.) Eufaula Indian School for Creek girls, just outside corporate limits of Eufaula, Okla., superintendent, Mrs. Gertrude C. Melton. (See Appendix D.) RECOMMENDATIONS. That an employees' lodge and new laundry be built; that the school farm be sold and the proceeds used to purchase ample acreage contiguous to the school. NAVAJO INDIANS-COMMISSIONER KNOX. (Filed June 2, 1917.) Leupp Reservation (Navajo Indians), Ariz., superintendent, Stephen Janus. (See Appendix E.) RECOMMENDATIONS. That the status of the land within this jurisdiction north of the Little Colorado River be changed to that of an Indian reservation; that negotiations for the exchange of land between the Government and the railroad companies be speedily concluded so that the land may be saved to the Indians; that the Government largely expand the educational facilities for the Navajo children. WALAPAI INDIANS-COMMISSIONER KNOX. (Filed June 2, 1917.) Truxton Canyon Reservation and School, Valentine, Ariz., superintendent, Charles E. Shell. (See Appendix F.) RECOMMENDATIONS. That special attention be given the housing conditions of the Walapai Indians; that the water supply of the reservation be further developed. PAPAGO INDIANS-COMMISSIONER ELIOT. (Filed June 2, 1917.) San Xavier Agency, Papago Reservation, Ariz., superintendent, Jewell D. Martin. (See Appendix G.) RECOMMENDATIONS. That the agency be transferred from San Xavier to Indian Oasis or Santa Rosa; that electric power for the wells at San Xavier be secured as soon as possible; that the Papagos be encouraged to work at road building and in the making of wells and irrigation ditches; that the Indians at San Xavier be encouraged to farm their allotments with closer application and more persistent industry; that there be a closer cooperation between the agency officials and the agricultural experiment station at the University of Arizona and the desert laboratory at Tucson; that more attention be given to developing the surface water supply. SAN CARLOS APACHES-COMMISSIONER ELIOT. (Filed June 2, 1917.) San Carlos Reservation, superintendent, Ernest Stecker, and Rice Station Indian School, Dr. J. S. Perkins, superintendent, Arizona. (See Appendix H.) RECOMMENDATIONS. That the agency and school expenses of the San Carlos Reservation be met by specific gratuity appropriation, so that all of the revenue derived from cattle-range leases may be used for and by the Indians under proper regulations; that the fund of approximately $12,000, the proceeds from the sale of Indian land now standing to the credit of the tribe in the Treasury, be used to purchase cattle for the San Carlos Apaches; that the Indian Office be urged to push vigorously the sinking of irrigation wells and the installation of pumps on this reservation; that a small hospital of modern kind and equipment be built on the agency grounds; that the Bylas day school be enlarged so as to take care of the children who can not now be accommodated because of the inadequate capacity of the school; that the lighting system of the Rice nonreservation school be improved and a new dairy barn built for the school. MISSION INDIANS-COMMISSIONER KNOX. (Filed June 8, 1917.) Pala (Mission Indians) Agency, Rincon, La Jolla, and Pechanga reserves and schools, southern California; Thomas F. McCormick, superintendent. (See Appendix I.) RECOMMENDATIONS. That at Pala immediate steps be taken to safeguard the banks of the San Luis Rey River from further erosion, and provision be made for the installation of the necessary plumbing and fixtures to connect the houses in the village with the sewage system; that the bridge over the San Luis Rey River, which was carried away during the freshet of 1916, be restored as soon as possible; that there be a reallotment of all Indians at Rincon, La Jolla, and Pechanga; that the water resources at Pechanga be scientifically developed as soon as possible; that the Government appropriate $15,000 toward the cost of improvement of the wagon road between Pala and Temecula. LANDLESS INDIANS-COMMISSIONER SMILEY. (Filed June 8, 1917.) A survey of the nonreservation or "landless" Paiute, Washoe, and Pit River Indians in California and Nevada; the Reno (Nev.) Special Agency; the Carson Indian School, James B. Royce, superintendent, at Stewart, Nev.; the Nevada or Pyramid Lake Reservation, Joseph D. Oliver, superintendent, Nevada; the Fort Bidwell Indian School, Eugene N. Tardy, superintendent, Fort Bidwell, Cal.; and the Alturas and Likely day schools, California. (See Appendix J.) RECOMMENDATIONS. That Congress be strongly urged to make larger appropriations for the nonreservation or "landless" Indians in western Nevada and northeastern California (under the Reno Special Agency) to enable the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to carry out his plans for securing permanent homes for them; that a competent person be added to the staff of the Reno Special Agency whose sole duty will be to look after the physical, educational, and moral welfare of these Indians; that the question of moving the Fort Bidwell School to a better location be seriously considered; that Congress be re quested to enact legislation which will place, with broad discretionary powers, in the hands of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs a substantial sum of money, so that he may be able to meet extraordinary ration and charity demands without loss of time; that a new dormitory for the younger students be built at Carson School; that the Commissioner of Indian Affairs be requested to consider the advisability of selling the allotted lands of the Washoe Indians in western Nevada and of the Pit River and Paiute Indians in Modoc County, Cal., the proceeds to be used for the benefit of the allottees; that the allotment of the Nevada (Pyramid Lake) Reservation lands be made speedily. SOBOBA RESERVATION-COMMISSIONER ELIOT. (Filed June 13, 1917.) Soboba (Mission Indians) Reservation, southern California, Harry E. Wadsworth, superintendent. (See Appendix K.) RECOMMENDATIONS. That the rights of the Indians in the suits of the San Jacinto Water Co. be effectively defended; that an appropriation of at least $5,000 be made to rebuild the bridge across the San Jacinto River, which went out in the flood of 1916; that an inexpensive building to be used as a community house be constructed, also a shed for the storage of agricultural implements and tools; that a simple field hospital be located at once at Soboba. THE PUEBLOS-COMMISSIONER VAUX. (Filed June 16, 1917.) Sandia, San Felipe, Santo Domingo, Santa Ana summer pueblo, Isleta, Laguna, Paguate and Acoma pueblos, New Mexico, all under the Pueblo day schools, Philip T. Lonergan, superintendent; the Albuquerque Indian School, Reuben Perry, superintendent; the Sante Fe Indian School, Frederick Snyder, superintendent. (See Appendix L.) RECOMMENDATIONS. That a thoroughly competent and disinterested attorney should be appointed for these Indians and that in connection with suits to protect their land titles further congressional enactment be secured to give the Federal courts exclusive jurisdiction in all Indian cases in New Mexico; that all the Indian grants which have not been surveyed be surveyed at once and the location of all squatters be defined and the boundaries of all pueblos be fenced (if this latter can be done without infraction of existing laws) and suits to quiet title and evict squatters be entered immediately after the surveys of Indian grants have been made; that more medical attention and sanitary supervision be given to all the pueblos; that a modernly equipped well-driving outfit be secured to provide domestic water for the pueblos; that a day school be established at the summer pueblo at Santa Ana; that steps be taken by the Indian Bureau to |