Many Feathers and Much Paint Don't Make an Indian

In 1898, Cuba was finalizing their independence from Spain - in what is now known as the  Cuban War of Independence .  Carlos Montezuma was an "Educated Indian,"  Reservation A Mistake Parallels Between the Indian and the Cuban Situation Influences of Education (Written by an American Indians)                                                              [ Carlos Montezuma M.D .] ------------------------------------------------ 1898, November 6. The Chicago Tribune            From the standpoint of humanity the condition of the Indians is much worse than that of the Cuban before the war. What have you done for the Cuban? You have spent millions and sacrificed many lives, and I hope the result will be a better civilization for them. They are our neighbors, but right here ...

In 1886 Theodore Roosevelt was 28 years old and had already served as a New York State Assemblyman, was a successful author (he eventually wrote 18 books), and ran off to be a cowboy. Fifteen years later he would be the 26th President of the United States following the assassination of President William McKinley. He was the President of everyone in the country - all races. He was the President of all Native American people. I cannot imagine how it felt to have a man who thought this way about a portion of his people, and they were still "wards" (more like Prisoners of War) under his command, and he thought they were best off dead. It's just unimaginable.  1886, Feb 6  The Rugby Gazette and East Tennessee News  Here is a portion of what he said in 1886, when he was 28 years old.  Roosevelt on Cow Boys and Indians. In a recent lecture in New York Theodore Roosevelt gave additional evidence of his admiration for the cow boy and his contempt for the Indian....

At one time the phrase "A good Indian" meant "A dead Indian," due to the 1860's phrase and mentality: The Only Good Indian is a Dead Indian. Newspapers ran headlines for decades that announced an American Indian's death in this manner, almost celebratory.  1870, March 4 Weekly Oregon Statesman  1877, Dec 18  The Cincinnati Enquirer  1882, May 5  The Frankfort Bee  1885, Nov 13   Fort Worth Daily Gazette  1887, Dec 29  The Record Union  1890, Jan 17  Pittsburgh Dispatch  1890, Dec 31  Los Angeles Herald  1890, Dec 18 The Columbus Weekly Advocate  1892, May 11   Arizona Republic  1893, Feb 16  The Tiller and Toiler  1894, Nov 2   The Saint Paul Globe  1896, June 15   The Kansas City Gazette  1905, Oct 6  The Virginia Enterprise  1908, Dec 12  The Bismarck Tribune  1909, Feb 17  The Evenin...

According to many sources - and I can remember being told this as a kid - General Philip Sheridan supposedly coined the phase:  " The only good Indian is a dead Indian ." The reason I remember this is because our rival football team was the Sheridan Generals, named after Sheridan, who grew up in Somerset, Ohio.. which is not far from my own hometown. (There's a big statue of him in the center of town.) Even his Wikipedia page (I know... not the best source, but I'm using it as an example) says:  Comanche Chief Tosawi reputedly told Sheridan in 1869, "Me, Tosawi; me good Injun," to which Sheridan supposedly replied, "The only good Indians I ever saw were dead." Sheridan denied he had ever made the statement.  I found an earlier reference to this expression, from July, 1866, that says: Utah Items - The Salt Lake Vedette says: "We hear many rumors concerning threatening Indian troubles in the southern and south eastern portion of t...