1939: Indians, American

Population Increase.

After a long period of steadily decreasing Indian population in the United States, the evidence appears conclusive that the trend has been reversed. The death rate for Indians of 16 per 1,000 in 1931 has been cut to 13 per 1,000 in 1939. In the same period the birth rate increased from 21.5 to 22.7. Between 1931 and 1939 the census total of persons listed as Indians has increased from 314,543 to 351,878. While through continued intermarriage between mixed blood Indians and whites, the mixed blood group is becoming more numerous, there is also a tendency for full bloods and those of greater degrees of Indian blood to marry within the Indian group, thus promising a small but permanent minority of Indians in the United States. In the last few years the alienation of Indian lands which had been going on at the rate of 2,000,000 acres per year for almost 60 years also has been stopped, and since 1934 new lands have been acquired for Indians by outright Federal purchase by the Indian Service or by the Resettlement Administration for the Indian Service, by the return of unused 'surplus' lands at one time ceded by tribes to the United States, and by land purchases with Indian tribal funds, to the extent of 2,907,143 acres.

Economic Rehabilitation.

Under the Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934, the government has committed itself to a continuing policy of land reacquisition. This Act also authorizes Federal loans to incorporated Indian tribes, and in the last three years loans amounting to $4,068,411 have been authorized to 53 of these groups. During the same period Indian tribes have loaned $785,615 of their own funds to individual Indians for purposes of economic rehabilitation. Unorganized tribes have also had access to $522,946 of Federal credit. While these figures indicate improvement in the economic conditions of Indians, they constitute only a small beginning.

Statistics collected between 1934 and 1936 showed that many Indian groups had an earned annual income averaging less than $50 per family. The major objective of the Federal Government in its land purchase program, its credit program, and its various forms of rehabilitation is to help the Indians in their adjustment to the white world and to assist them in making their own living. Except that land and other property held in trust by the United States for Indian use is tax exempt, Indians pay Federal income, gift, and inheritance taxes, and most state taxes include sales tax. There has therefore been a growing tendency to grant Indians their proportionate share in relief payments, social security benefits, farm security aid, and similar types of assistance on a par with their white neighbors.

Health.

Increased medical attention and hospital service are probably largely responsible for lowering the Indian death rate. The Medical Division has devoted years to intensive research on the problem of trachoma which seriously afflicts many Indian groups and during the last year has announced the discovery of a filterable virus as cause of the disease, and rather remarkable success in the use of sulfanilamide as a specific for its relief and cure in many instances. There is evidence that the Indian population is gradually developing an immunity to tuberculosis somewhat similar to that of the whites.

Education.

There is a continuing increase in proportion of Indian children attending school, and substantial increase in Indians attending high school. There are between 70,000 and 80,000 Indian children of school age. Approximately 25,525 are being educated in 261 schools operated by the Federal Government in the continental United States. Another 28,796 are attending public schools which receive tuition from the Federal Government to compensate for loss of revenue from non-taxable Indian lands. Seven thousand are in private and mission schools. About 6,000 are estimated to be non-attendants at any school, and the remainder are presumed to be attending at local public schools. The Federal Government also maintains 118 schools for the natives of Alaska which are attended by 5,000 students. It is estimated that another 2,000 natives are attending schools operated by the territorial government.

Irrigation Developments.

As part of the program of economic rehabilitation the Indian Irrigation Service has been engaged in the development of water resources in a number of areas where Indians possess irrigable lands, and work is in progress which will add several hundred acres of land to those now under irrigation. Several Indian reservations contain valuable areas of virgin forest which are being developed on a sustained yield basis. The receipts from these operations and from grazing leases in the forest areas constitute a valuable contribution to total Indian income.

Language.

After many years of attempting to discourage the use of native languages, the government also has reversed its position and is now encouraging the use of the written form of the native languages in areas occupied by large numbers of Indians. Primers in English and Navajo are being published for this group of 45,000 Indians. Readers are also being prepared for the 35,000 Sioux. This reversal of emphasis has carried with it an aroused interest upon the part of Indians in the acquisition of English and the program of English instruction is advancing more rapidly than heretofore.