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1Author:  H. H.Add
 Title:  The Wards of the United States Government  
 Published:  1998 
 Subjects:  University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text 
 Description: THAT the Indians should be called "wards" of the United States Government, would seem a natural thing, significant of the natural relation between the United States Government and the Indian. The dictionary definition of the word "ward" is "one under a guardian," and of the word "guardian," a "protector." For white orphans under age, guardians are appointed by law; and the same law defines the duties and sets limit to the authority of such appointed guardians. The guardianship comes to end when the orphan ward is of age. This is one important difference between the white "wards" in our country, and Indian "wards." The Indian "ward" never comes of age. There are other differences, greater even than this; in fact, so great that the term "ward" applied to the Indian, savors of a satire as bitter as it was involuntary and unconscious on the part of the Supreme Court, which, I believe, first used the epithet, or, if it did not first use it, has used it since, as a convenient phrase of "conveyance" of rights, not to the Indian, but from him; to define, not what he might hope for, but what he must not expect; not what he is, but what he is not; not what he may do, but what, being a "ward," he is forever debarred from doing. Among other things, he may not make a contract with a white man, unless through his guardian, the Government. He may not hire an attorney to bring any suit for him, unless by consent of his guardian, the Government. Strangely enough, however, though as an individual he cannot make a contract or bring a suit, he has, until six years ago, always been considered fit, as a member of a tribe, to make a treaty; i. e., if the treaty were with the United States Government, his guardian.
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