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198

Problem of Indian Administration

the accepted formula. Since it was found, however, that on eleven reservations,^[1] where about 16.8 per cent of the Indian population live, records appeared to be kept with more than the usual care, an attempt was made, among other things, to determine what per cent the deaths of infants under one year of age and of children under three years of age, respectively, constituted of all Indian

*Table 2*
Indian Service statistics showing, for certain years, the estimated Indian population and the number of Indian births reported, together with birth rates derived therefrom. For comparison are included birth rates reported by the United States Census Bureau for the general population in the birth registration area of the United States: 1915 to 1920, inclusive, and 1925
Year	Estimated Indian population	Indian births reported		Births per 1000 of the general population U. S. Census
Year	Estimated Indian population	Number	Per 1000 estimated Indian population	Births per 1000 of the general population U. S. Census
1925	^{[p198 1]} 180,884	5,699	31.5	21.4
1920	266,868	6,510	31.5	23.7
1919	205,468	6,344	30.9	22.3
1918	205,249	5,571	29.3	24.6
1917	207,903	5,340	29.0	24.7
1916	200,224	6,092	20.1	25.0
1915	205,450	6,542	31.8	25.1

↑ The 1925 estimate does not include all Indians under the supervision of the Indian Service in 1925, arid the difference between the 1920 and 1925 figures does not represent a decline in population. It is due to the fact that some jurisdictions which furnished vital statistics in 1920 did not furnish similar figures for 1925. The apparent decrease in population in 1925 is thus due to the smaller reporting area.

deaths within these eleven jurisdictions, and to compare the results with conditions among the general population of the United States. The shortcomings of this method are recognized, but the results permit of a rough comparison. According to this comparison Indian deaths in infancy and early childhood on these eleven reservations appear to be twice as frequent in proportion to all deaths as in the general population, as is evident from the following figures:

↑ The eleven reservations referred to are: Blackfeet, Cheyenne River, Chippewa, Crow, Fort Belknap, Fort Berthold, Fort Peck, Keshena, Pine Ridge, Rosebud, and Tongue River. They represent a population of 41,608, or 16.8 per cent of the total Indian population exclusive of the Five Tribes.

[2] The 1925 estimate does not include all Indians under the supervision of the Indian Service in 1925, arid the difference between the 1920 and 1925 figures does not represent a decline in population. It is due to the fact that some jurisdictions which furnished vital statistics in 1920 did not furnish similar figures for 1925. The apparent decrease in population in 1925 is thus due to the smaller reporting area.

[1] The eleven reservations referred to are: Blackfeet, Cheyenne River, Chippewa, Crow, Fort Belknap, Fort Berthold, Fort Peck, Keshena, Pine Ridge, Rosebud, and Tongue River. They represent a population of 41,608, or 16.8 per cent of the total Indian population exclusive of the Five Tribes.

[1]

[p198 1]