624 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Indians do not take kindly to the abrogation of hunting and fishing 

 practices which are as old as the race itself. However, as they adapt 

 themselves to the white man's methods of living their reliance on 

 wild life for food supplies diminishes. 



Whereas, not so many years ago, the Indian tribes were accustomed 

 to hunt and fish on large areas of land; in recent years, due to the 

 restriction and development of adjacent land, they have been confined 

 to their reservations. Because of the restriction of hunting and 

 fishing by Indians to their reservations, the supplies of game and fish 

 have been reduced in recent years. While some streams have been 

 stocked with fish, there is urgent need for the restriction of hunting 

 and fishing out of season, and it will be necessary, if Indian streams 

 and forests are to produce fish and game to potential capacity, to do 

 a considerable amount of restocking streams with fish and woods 

 with game. 



The importance of the wild-life resources of Indian lands to the 

 Indians varies with the degree that Indian tribes have departed from 

 ancient modes of living and methods of obtaining food supplies, and 

 they should be managed accordingly. 



The policy of the Indian Service in this matter may be stated as 

 follows : 



1. Conservation of these resources by education and encouragement 

 of the Indians in wise use. 



2. Cooperation with State and Federal authorities and conformity 

 with State and Federal laws and regulations whenever such con- 

 formity is possible under existing Indian treaties and would not 

 deprive the Indians of an important source of food supply. 



RECREATIONAL POSSIBILITIES 



Development of the recreational possibilities of Indian reservations 

 must always give primary consideration to the Indians. These 

 possibilities are many, for Indian reservations include a great variety 

 of lands not only of scenic and inspirational value on which all forms 

 of outdoor sport and recreation may be enjoyed, but have an unusual 

 attraction for many thousand vacationists annually because of the 

 Indian himself and the history of his race. 



The development of the recreational possibilities of Indian reserva- 

 tions for the benefit of whites cannot properly be undertaken by the 

 Indian Service through the use of Indian tribal moneys. Specific 

 gratuity appropriations would be needed for this work. The problem 

 of management has been summed up by Kinney (11) thus: 



The full realization of these possibilities may be achieved only through sincere 

 and effective cooperation between the Indian Service, the Indians themselves, 

 and those representatives of the general citizenry of the Nation who are able and 

 willing to ascertain the true facts and ready to lend their support to all efforts 

 toward a solution of the intricate problem of properly integrating the Indian 

 lands and the Indian character with the national resources, physical, mental, and 

 moral. 



OTHER USES OF INDIAN FORESTS BY INDIANS 



Indian forests have played and should continue to play an important 

 part in the economic life of their owners by the use of Indian owned 

 and operated sawmills of two general classes : 



(a) Small mills operated mainly to produce lumber and other 

 building materials for Indian buildings, and 



