WORK IN A NATIONAL FOREST 



BY 

 Charles Howard Shinn, Supervisor of Sierra (North) National Forest 

 No. 7 : Land, Indians and Whisky 



HAVE something of a story to tell, the hop-picking and grape gathering, 



and a few questions to ask of those returning to their homes in winter, 



fellow-workers in the Service who are In 1906 the report of C. E. Kelsey, 



up against these particular problems. Special Agent for the California In- 



They belong mainly to California, for dians, was issued, in which he says: 



in most States the Indians are on "There is also quite a number of In- 



reservations and more directly under dians located within the boundaries 



Governmental control than here. Even of the Forest Reserves. According to 



in California the special difficulties that figures of your Special Agent they 



1 shall describe are less serious south number 1181. They have no title to 



of the Tehachipi. As it happens, my the lands they occupy, and since the 



friends Bigelow of Klamath, Barrett establishment of the Forests it is un- 



of Lassen Peak, Elliott of Tahoe, certain whether the lands within their 



Britten of Stony Creek, and a few boundaries can legally be alloted to 



others of the northern and central them." Mr. Kelsey says further that 



forests of California, besides some of the Indians are protected by the forest 



our Pacific Coast Inspectors, are the regulations and that there is "no occa- 



ones who can contribute most to a sion for any action in respect to any 



symposium upon Indians. I hope of them." 



that the energetic editor of Forestry Mr. Kelsey has again visited this 



AND Irrigation will wisely trouble all forest (March, 1908) and, comparing 



these, and others too, for contributions notes, we decide that the total num- 



along this line. ber inside of the forests is fully 2,490, 



The full-blooded Indians of Calif- and a complete census will certainly 

 ornia are estimated to have numbered bring it to 3,000 or even 3,300 when 

 210,000 in 1834 under Spanish rule the proposed additions to several for- 

 and before the Days of Cold. They ests are made. The number in Super- 

 now number but 17,000, and about visor Bigelow's bailiwick is not less 

 sixteen hundred of these live in the than 790; Sierra North, when the 

 National Forests. A map was pre- proposed new area is taken in, will in- 

 pared in 1907 for the Northern CaHf- elude not less than 862; Sierra South 

 ornia Indian Association, which map and Sierra East have some ; Monterey 

 shows some nineteen points in Sierra has a few ; Diamond Mountain, Shasta, 

 North at which Indians live in num- Trinity, Stony Creek, Tahoe and Stan- 

 bers of from ten to one hundred. These islaus hold about all the rest. We are 

 places are not really "rancherias," making a census here ; and it is a 

 though they are commonly called so. heavy piece of work, too. for we want 

 The little Indian homes are scattered it more than a mere alphabetical list; 

 here and there, wherever a spring can it must include all attainable personal, 

 be found and a little pasturage for a historical and economic facts, 

 few horses. These Indians wander Evidently the problems pressing 

 around to each others' camj s at differ- upon those who wish to give the In- 

 ent seasons, or up into the higher dians "a white man's chance" are 

 mountains, or down to the plains for many and serious. In fact it appears 



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