DAN 245 Chapter 2: Week 2 Reading 2
Document Summary
Dan 245 textbook notes: week 2 reading 2. Readings, 1685-2000, edited by maureen needham, univ. of illinois press, 2002, pp. A letter written to the office of indian affairs in 1902 included a few customs among the. Indians that ought to be modified or discontinued and included orders to enforce changes. Men should not wear their hair long due to it not being in keeping with their advancement in society. Wearing short hair would be a significant step in hastening their progress towards civilization. Male students who return to reservations after school fall back to old customs such as letting hair grow long and painting the body. Painting is said to keep the skin warm or cool depending on the season, but when indians perspire it runs into their eyes and causes blindness. The letter advocates for the office to tell male indians to cut their hair and to tell both sexes to stop painting.
