The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-08-21
Indian Reservations.


opinion under existing laws and treaties with the various
Indian tribes any portion OF the territory lynx west oil
Missouri and Iowa be occupied and settled by white
men; il so, what part Of such teuitory-has been re.
erred TO This bureau for and In reply thereto,
| have the honor 10 slate
That the county north of the Platte and west OF tho
Stale OF Iowa occupied by the Omahas, Pawnees and
Sioux. and other dgenous Indians, aud their title TO
the has been exlngushed. except the strip
ceded by the Pawnees at Grand Island for military puf-
poses.
That the country south of the Platte and Immediately
west of the State OF Iowa is occupied by the Ottoes and
their title has never beea exiinguisbed.
That the country along the whole western boundary OF
Missouri Except small strip OF land between the south
ern line OF the Miames and the northern line of the
Cherokee sNenral Ground" Iact) is occupied by the
Otoes the half breeds of various tribes. the Ioways
Sacs and Foxes OF the Missouri, Kckapoos. Deaw ares
Wyandots. Potowatomies, Shawnees. Peankasha WIS,
Weas PeoTas, Kaskaskiss, Oitowas, Chippewas, Sacs
and Foxes Of the Mississippi Kansas, ianies, Osages.
Cherokee Neutral Ground" tract, Qnapaws. Senecas,
and Shawnees and Senecas, in the order in which they
are named from north 10 south The small strip be-
tween the Miamies and the Cherokee Neutral Ground
apart for the various tribes OF Indians in the
State of New York; butt does not appear that they
have ever yet availed themselves OF it,
The country west OF tie State of Missouri, aud lying
between the Arkansas and the Platte, except the strip
owned by the Ouoes was understood 10 have belonged
originally The Pawnees. Kansas. and Osages, TO the
sources OF the Kansas the headwates OF the Republican
Fork Of the Kansas, and 10 the junction OF the South
Fork with the North Fork Of the flai,e The Pawnees
also owned, and still, portion Of the country north
Of and bordering on the Platte.
The title OF the Osases all the country lying wes,
Of The State Of Missouri, and Che them Territory OF
Arkansas north and west OF the Red river south of the
Kansas river, and OF line 10 be drawn from the
head of the Kansas through the Rock
Saline" &c., exnguished by the United States by
treaty concluded on the q June, 1926 (U. S Statutes
at Large, vol Z, page 2i0)
The title OF the Kansas all the lands TO which they
then had tile, claimed, lying OF the STATE OF Mis-
soar, and within the following boundaries, viz " Be-
ginning al the entrance Of the Kansas river into The Mis-
souri, river from thence north to the Chem north west
corner of the State OF Missouri from thence westward.
y to The Nodewa river thirty miles from its entrance
into the Missouri; from thence the entrance OF the
Big Nenaha into tho Missouri, and with that river
lis sources from thence to the OF the Kansas
river leaving the old village of the Panice Pawnee)
public to The west; from thence the ridge dividing
the waters Of the Kansas river from h of the Arkan
sas TO the western boundary OF the State line OF Mis-
souri, and with that line thirty miles TO the place of be-
ginning" extinguished by the United States by
~ concluded The 81 June 1925. (U. S Statutes at
Large, vol 7, page 24i)
The title OF the Pawnees 10 all their right and n'eres,
in laHds lying south OF The Platte river exiting
by the United States by treaty The 9th October, 1893
(U. S. Statutes al Large, vol 7, page 44s)
In the treaties with the Osagcs and Kinsas Indians
there reservations male for their use and occupa.
ton.
The second article OF the treaty with the Pawnces is
in the following words The land coded and r~ln-
pushed hereby FAR the is and shall be
assigned any tribe tribes, shall remain common
hunting ground during the pleasure of the President for
the Pawnees and Other friendly Indians who shall be per-
mit,ed by the President 10 hunt on the same"
than Hall h.
airy Of Iowa and the southern boundary of Missouri and
west OF the Omaha and P4wnee counry. and west OF
the Pawnes Kansas, and Usage cessions is in the occu
pancy OF The Sioux, Arapahoes Cbsy.nnes, and other
indigenous Indians. and their title has not been extin
euished BY the United States.
la extngushng the title of the Pavnees Kansas and
Ossges TO The country they claimed the date OF the
treaties in 1925 and 1885, the object of the government
obtain home for the several tribes then residing
in and occupying lands within the States and organized
Territories. And Congress, by the OF May 2s, 1880,
Statutes al Large vol 4, pp All and al2) expressly
authorized the President TO divide the country
which the Indian lille had been ex,nguishsd into saa
Bile districts and 10 exchange such districts with any OF
the tribes then residing within the limits Of any OF the
States Territories and with which The United States
then had existing treaties, for the whole any portion
of the territory Chem claimed and occupied by such
tribe, &c.
The third section OF the act provides that in making
such exchange the President may soemnly the
tribe nation with which the exchange is made that
the United States will forever secure and guaranty 10
them, and their heirs successors, the country
changed with them, and if they prefer it, the United
States will cause patent grant TO be made them for
The same, with the proviso, however that il the Indians
become extinct, abandon the same the land shall re-
vert to The United States.
The principles OF TN. act are nboded in all the various
treaties with the numerous tribes located immediate
ly OF Missouri and by which treaties the posses.
sion and occupancy OF their present lands guaranteed 10
them And several OF the treaties provide in addition,
that the United States guarantee rha, said lands Uhe
lands granted to the tribe tribes and which they
now reside) shall be within the limits OF any State
OF Territory &c.
The country coded by the Osages the Kansas and the
Pawnees 10 the United States, lying north and ives, OF
Red river, and south Of the Platte. which not nov in
the specific occupancy Of any Indian tribe by virtue OF
treaty stipulation, has been occupied continuously from
the date OF these cessons until the present time by the
Pawnees and other friendly Indian. a common hunt
ground, and II does not appear that the President has
manifested his dpleasure. but the contrary the
policy OF the government, has tended TO sanction H.
The frat act To authorize the President OF the United
States TO road to be marked from tn.
frontier Of Missouri to the confines OF New Mexico APP
proved March 81, is25. Statute. Large. vol. 4,
p. 1907 provides Tor the appointment OF commission
ers mark out said road I" PROVIDED, That the sad
commssio shall first obtain the consent OF the in
tervenng tribe OF Indians, by treaty to the making OF
the said road and to unmolested thereof to the