Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-02-07
THE INDIAN SITUATION.

. tor peace and exemption from Indian dep
relations, the coming season. is anything
: but tiattering. With the termination O
;, tiie Nez Perez war and the uninterrupted
: march Of the hostile Sioux across the line
!. into British territory. came a feeling Of
relic: and apparent assurance that the In.
dams We're subdued; that hOstilities would
cease and that there could be no formida-
lle enemy to fight within our borders the
! coming summer. But recent reports and
Developments, both northeast and south
. west are only calculated to awaken our
gravest apprehensions and thoroughly
, convince us that our Indian troubles are
very far from being satisfactorily settled.
In other words. there is at present rs
strong probability and prospect for an
active campaign during the approaching
Spring and Summer as there was one year
ago. 1t may as we'll be admitted. first as
last, that notwithstanding the fact that
Joseph and his little band of irresistible
warriors were apparently. badly whipped.
some IS or 50 OF his bravest men are still
1t large and are roaming over the country
between the Missouri river and our nor
! thcrn boundary at pleasure. That, although
Sitting Bull and his followers are ostensi- /!
bly, on British territory. lie has emissaries |
constcntlv ont visiting the Sioux agencies
On the Missouri. creating dissatisfaction
and gaining many recruits among the
agency Indians. That, although it may be
claimed, that the Sioux belonging to the
several agcn les on the Missouri river are
apparently quiet and pcaceably disposed,
there is evidently a growing rcstlessness
and dissatisfaction amongst them that will.
in n, probability. eliminate, sooner or
late. in open hostililics.
The fact that the general Government. :
either by treaty stipulation or otherwise. {
doe. not appropriate sufficient funds to
subsist the Indians continuously. at any of '
the Sioux agencies. is one that is often over s
looked and but little understood. We are t
however. that this is the condi- t
ton of things at Poplar River. Wolf
Point. Standing Rock and. perhaps. also
at Red Cloud and Spotted Tail Agencies.
Hence. it becomes absolutely necessary
That those Indians shall procure at least a
partial subsistence by the chase This. of
course, they are utterly unable to do with =
)ut arms and ammunition, the sale Of :
which. we are informed. has for some time -
been strictly prohibited both by the War :,
md Interior Departments. The licensed u
raiders. by special permits, are in some in .
tanccs allowed to trade a limited quantity "
# powder and ball. but the quantity is ~ :,
sually so small that it fails to meet the w
emands or the absolute needs of the In :"
i;lns. Besides many of them are armed -
nth breech-loadng guns. and consequent ~ ~
can use nothing but fixed ammunition. %
ne sale of which, as we said before. is "
richly prohibited. 1t is quite evident to a., =.
nose who are familiar with Indian life and '''
that this state of things must be
lily compreheaded and promptly met or 'e'
lerc will grow out of it the most serious =,
I'd lamentable results. 10 us. one of W.
rce things appears inevitable: the In ="
ans must either be fed and clothed by the a ~.
overnment, furnished with ammunition 'i'
the kind required and in sufficient guam e'.
les for hunting purposes. or preparations ~
llst be made for waging war of exter- , d
nation against most if not all Of the 'o
'stern tribes. And this condition of
ings is evidently as true in regaId to the ~, =.
nnacks, Snakes. Flathcads. Sloshones, ~
4 Sheep Eaters. on our western and '. az.
lthern borders as it is of the BIackfeet. ~
os tentreS. AssinabOines and Sioux on W.
+ northern and eastern borders. Recent oe'i
nts AMI reports from LemIii, Fort Hall -
Flatli'.id Agencies are anything but 'io'
sfactory and assuring to the small. scat pas
ed and exposed communities of Mon w
Il, and point Enthusiastically to the neccs- NV
of strengthening the military garrisons O ~
retaining. at least, the present forces q.
lnited States troops, not oniy OH the "'. -,
lowstone. but also at Forts Ellis. Shaw. \
soul, Hall pa,+o, I,,r,,, -. -, ii G
ena. There is really but handful OF 'i''' :
at any of the respective Posts named.
III most instances sufficient, perhaps. iarS
ford some protection to tho ax,osod the
immediately adjacent; while h'ih'
are within supporting distance of each raiir
IL. and could concentrate ,|most ;r,,ro Orga
ely at any given point, in the event of stocI
rmidable outbreak, nv any of tho t,;hos line,
led. 1t will be well for the military ih'e'
'orities 10 bear in mind that the Sioux ~
not the only Indians in Montana way
need watching. cost
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