254 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 196 



when he gets started on Indians. "He don't mean half of what he 

 says, but they am't much for farming/' she admits. 



RICHARD AND POLLY KING (MIDDLE CLASS INDIANS) 



The Kings hve in Painttown in a six-room framehouse. It is not a 

 new house; Richard's father and mother built it many years ago. 

 Navaho rugs cover the floors; the furniture is old but comfortable. 

 A television set is perhaps the newest piece in the living room. 



The house is far enough away from the highway to accommodate a 

 20-unit motel and restaurant in front of it. The motel is open the 

 year round, but the restaurant is operated only from April to October. 

 Summer is a busy time for the Kings; they are at home only to sleep. 

 "Keeping a reliable staff is hard," Richard says. The younger 

 Kings help out once in a while^ but "They are kids and should have 

 their fun while they can enjoy it." It is the local help that cannot 

 be depended upon. "You can't run a business with aU-Indian help. 

 You say something to them and they'll quit without a word." 



Richard and PoUy went to Haskell in Kansas, and he worked in 

 California untU the end of the war. Thej built their business after 

 the war "in spite of Government and tribal restrictions." Credit is 

 difficult to arrange for businesses or buildings which are on the 

 reservation. They cannot be used for collateral on a loan. If the 

 land were allotted, it would be much easier to operate a business, 

 according to Richard. He would like to have the land divided up 

 and the people given title to their property, for he feels the Govern- 

 ment dictates too much and has deprived the Indians of initiative. 

 "The welfare doesn't help, either. Too many of them are sitting 

 around and getting paid for it instead of going to where the work is. 

 Furthermore, if there were not so much aid to dependent children, 

 there probably wouldn't be as much illegitimacy as there is." 



Richard belongs to the Cherokee civic clubs and the Chamber of 

 Commerce. Polly has no time for the Eastern Star during the sum- 

 mer, but she attends chapter meetings in Bryson City during the 

 winter. They go over to Knoxville frequently to visit their son 

 who is attending the University of Tennessee. "His grades aren't 

 very good," PoUy said. "They might have been worse if he had 

 not gone to public school. Perhaps his car interferes with his studies, " 

 she added. 



The young man who "chiefs" for the King restaurant was sick for 

 a while. Richard finally pursuaded him to go over to the Public 

 Health hospital. "He'd been having some old Indian doctor him. 

 You just can't tell these 'fuUbloods' anything." The Kings save 

 their cartons for people to use in their houses. "Some of those places 



