THE
DISCARDS

BY

He-mene Ka-wan: "Old Wolf"

(LUCULLUS VIRGIL McWHORTER)

PRICE, 25 CENTS

Supplement to The Discards                         Copyright

WE YALLUP WA YA CIKA

Chief of the Ahtanum Clan of the Yakimas, Deceased Dec. 17, 1915

See the Chief's Memorial to the "higher officials," April 13, 1913, in which he prayed for simple justice relative to his stolen water rights. The venerable Chieftain passed over the Last Trail, still hoping for the relief that never came. See Lyman's Hist. Yakima Valley, Vol I, pp 916-920. Continued Crime Against the Yakimas, 1913.

Price 10c.

THE DISCARDS

By HE-MENE KA-WAN: "Old Wolf"

============ Author of ============

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.

We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the Songs of Zion.—Psalms 137:1-2-3.

Foreword

An explanation is the only excuse for this little publication. The Discards were primarily to appear in the Second or Summer Season Number of The American Indian Tepee, a quarterly launched for the avowed purpose of combating the manifest evils of the Indian Bureau; the fraud and graft imposed with impunity on the child-minded tribesmen by the robber speculator, land thief and all round crooks who swarm the reservations; as well as creating a deeper sentiment of respect for the Red race by giving first hand the Indian side of life; his poetry, music, philosophy and tribal history.

As an adopted Yakima, the chief editorship was tendered me and was accepted with no thought of compensation other than the satisfaction of attempting to do something for a greatly maligned and hampered people. The first editorial in the initiative number of the Tepee, reveals the faith that was placed in the declared purpose of the management, which would now appear as mere ostentation. This became more apparent as work on the second number progressed. Reproductions foreign to the vital Indian cause were given precedence over "fighting" originality; and when the Wolf howled, he was summarily bounced by the Fox, who then assumed full control as both manager and editor.

The contribution by Hal-ish Ho-sat: Klickitat for "Old Wolf"; was the first of a series of hitherto unpublished legends of the Yakimas and kindred tribes contemplated for the Tepee. This, with some editorials, one or two incomplete, were retained and made use of, while the Discards, a few in galley proof, were returned to me. The editorial explanation of my severance with the Tepee was in bad taste and my own card was censored to suit the drawing.

Perhaps the Wolf was too strenuous and the Discards had no place in The Tepee's pages. Doubtless the Manager will receive laudation from certain elements for his action; but believing it good at times that the public be made acquainted with disagreeable facts, such as contained in some of these rejects, they are here offered as mere samples of far reaching conditions. If "Elasticity of Indian Bureau Promises" appear unworthy of credence, there are the abandoned allotments, parched and dry, still in evidence, as well as voluminous correspondence on file in the Indian Department. The pie from the Indian Bureau bakery may look appetizing and palatable on the printed menu. Lift the crust! then—shield your nose as you watch 'em crawl. The "consideration" from the honest business man for Poor Lo's heritage ofttimes shows glitteringly munificent. Insert the probe! gilded illusion—"mess of pottage"—vermin infested and stenchful.

And all this under a Government of the people ($), by the people ($$) and for the people ($$$).

He-mene Ka-wan: "Old Wolf".
(L. V. McWhorter).

July 23, 1920

That "Same Old Howl"

Many of the Yakimas are wondering how long it takes the Indian Department to make good a promise. Tribesmen have waited vainly the years for a consummation of pledges made, while others, sore at heart and foot weary have passed over the Last Trail with thoughts embittered by the memory of wanton indifference, if not actual connivance of the Department officials in the brazen robberies which they have suffered. Ugly, sombre facts have been unearthed in the no distant past, while others are incubating for an unsavory hatching.

Fraudulent land deals and theft of irrigation waters are common complaints. The riparian right to water established by long usage, is a joke when applied to the Indian. During the vital irrigation period of May, present year, the editor personally looked into conditions of one Indian ditch on the Ahtanum. Three Indian allottees, Louis Mann, William Adams and Joe Yemowat, dependent in part upon this ditch, had not been able to obtain a drop of water, while white renters above them had been receiving a full flow for a month. Mr. Clyde Stevens, a heavy renter, had "soaked" a forty acre field the second time, while two other renters were getting water galore. In one instance a secret way was discovered taking a heavy flow. In marked contrast to the luxuriant crops on these lands, were those of the Indians, parched and withered. While the Indian Department has no jurisdiction over the distribution of the water in this particular ditch it does have jurisdiction over the leased lands and has the power to evict any undesirable tenant. Why does it allow a water-hog to fatten at the expense of those whom it holds in its iron grasp? If the Injun "hollers" he is branded as a troublesome complainer and peace disturber. Intimidated and helpless, he suffers deep wrongs in stolid silence. A husky, in an altercation with one of the looters in question, took unreasonable abuse rather than come to blows. When asked why he did this, he replied:

"I am not afraid of him—the shrimp. I could break him in two. It is his law that I am afraid of. I know what an Injun would get in court. I have a family to live for. Our Agent is supposed to protect us in our rights. He does nothing. He knows that the white man has no right to the water in this, our Injun ditch. He knows that it is being stolen from us. This white water thief is protected. He says that Mr. Carr is a fine man. Of course he should speak well of Mr. Carr. Look at this water thief's crop, this Mr. Stevens and others. They are fine while our crops are scorched for water. When only