Regional Learning Project, University of Montana
Transcribed 02/02/2007 by Regional Learning Project
Mathers Museum of World History
Wanamaker Collection
WD-278-01
“Suggestions for Indian Agents as to Flag Ceremony”
[Sent by Dixon party from the custom train car ‘Signet’ while en route.]
Car Signet; en route.
RODMAN WANAMAKER EXPEDITION OF CITIZENSHIP TO THE NORTH
AMERICAN INDIAN
Dear Mr.
In addition to the notification that I am sending you, relative to the time we are to
arrive at your reservation to carry out the program of hoisting the Fort Wadsworth flag
and signing the Declaration of Allegiance to the United States Government on the part of
the Indians of your tribe, and the presentation of a flag to the tribe to be left as their
property by Mr. Wanamaker, I wish to make the following suggestions, and these I
cannot too strongly emphasize.
First; this patriotic expedition has the enthusiastic sanction of the President of the
United States, the Secretary of the Interior, and Assistant Commissioner Abbott, who was
at the time the expedition was organized Acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs. I have
detailed by the Secretary of the Interior to accompany the expedition and make a full
report to the Department concerning the various features of Indian life as I find them, and
just as particularly the response made to the Acting Commissioner’s letter requesting a
full attendance of the tribes at these various ceremonies.
Second; some of our superintendents have come up nobly to the full conception of
their privilege and obligation with reference to the following points: (a) bringing in a full
representation of their people; (b) selecting splendid types of old Indian characters; (c)
while the matter of requesting the Indians to come dressed in their full Indian costume
was left by Acting Commissioner Abbott to the discretion of the superintendent, many of
the superintendents thus far have used that discretion in a very wise way, and have seen
to it that the Indians came in their full regalia. This we find to be a very great advantage,
because the leader of the expedition is making photographs of representative types of
each tribe, to be placed as a record in the museum of the Indian memorial, and he does
not wish to photograph any other than the old types in costume. We do not ask that they
come in costume, but that they bring their costumes, so that they may dress for the
ceremonial.
Third; every tribe we have visited so far, the Indians have been enthusiastic over
the hoisting of the flag and signing of the Declaration, and have gone off, the proud
possessors of a flag of their own. The ceremony cannot fail to be useful in its influence
upon your reservation with reference to your own dealings with the Indians, because it
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arouses in them a new spirit of patriotism, and, as the leader of the expedition states, it
comes at them from the flag side rather than the land side.
Let me cite a notable instance that occurred with reference to the Pawnees. The
man selected for the response on the part of the tribe made a speech that would be worthy
of any white man, both as to its thought, manner of expression, and spirit of patriotism. It
would be well, perhaps, to select some good man from your tribe to make this response,
because the record will go into the galleries of the memorial. I am sure that you will
welcome these suggestions as my endeavor to make effective this expedition.
I may state also that the Indians are deeply interested in the addresses by means of
the phonograph by Honorable Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States;
Honorable Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, and Honorable F. H. Abbott,
Acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
Respectfully,