Judge — January 3, 1891 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Ever Our Indian Policy" This 1891 *Judge* cartoon satirizes U.S. government policy toward Native Americans. A well-dressed gentleman (likely representing a government official or politician) stands examining what appears to be a mass grave or burial site marked "Restricted Reservation Grounds." Dead bodies and skeletal remains are visible within. The caption reads: "THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN IS THE DEAD ONE!"—a dark reference to the notorious phrase attributed to military figures of the era. The cartoon critiques the government's approach to Native Americans as effectively genocidal, presenting the "Indian policy" as one that accepts or encourages Native American deaths rather than pursuing peaceful coexistence or fair treatment. This reflects the period's brutal realities, including the Wounded Knee massacre (December 1890), which had occurred weeks before this issue's publication.