Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-02-23
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY %. 1873.
DEFRAUDING INDIAN HOME
STEADEi8S.


were Systematically laboring to detrautl
and dispossess them of their partially
improved homesteads By processes which
amounted, in plain terms, TO robbery.
lie crlled the attention of fhe Interior
department to tie wrongs being .pcrpe-
trated, aud the result Was that Col. f. j.
Brooks, of the clerical force of the Com
missioner of the General Land office.
was detailed to make an investigation.
lie made patient and thorough exam
nation, and reported the result to the
department ut Washington. filing large
number Of reports showing conclssively
that Indian Agent Lees convictions
were well founded. Through The kind
ness of COMMISSIONS vii hanson, the
Washington correspondent of the DetI oit
Post and Tribune was afforded an oppor-
tunity OF examining these reports, and in
letter dated the 18th inst. he gives sew
eral Instances showing how outrageously
these HON rsteaders have been swindled
and wronged. From this letter " CLEAN
the following:
'The most elaborate report filed bv
Mr.. Brooks is dated December ~, 1871.
and relates TO the case of Elizabeth Ma
je-we kwa, which he selected as a fairly
representative one. The Indian woman
III question Is one of the comparativclv
lev living representatives of the Ottawa
and Chippewa tribes. Under a trelty
dated July 81, 1855. the United States
agreed to give TO these Indians 80 ores
of land 10 each heal of Il family, ant, to
each single person over 81 years OF age
4O acres" with other provisions tor or
phan children. such lands to be selected
III certain specified reservations i'm Mich
gan. The general conditions OF the
homestead law. in addition TO bona tide
settlement and cultivation, are thar tie
homesteader shall not leave his land for
more than SIN months at any one Time
ana that the latent tor the property
shall no. be issued until after five years
from The date of the original selection.
During that period of five years the land
Is liable TO be declared '.lbandoned' by
The government III case it shall appear
mat the hOmesteader has left ii for more
Than SIX months. or has tailed 10 settle
upon ehd cultivate IL. Any ole has the
right to call the attention oil The land Of
herrs TO any case OF IL gal abandonment
OF homestead tf ,t.a.fr
According TO Col. Brooks report. 't,:e
records show that Elizabeth Na-je-we-
kwa made homestead entry No. 5135,
traverse City, September 4. 1872. for tile
southwest quarter, section ii. town 81
north. range q west. The Same heinz.
within The reservation SET aside for the
ottawa and Chippewa Indians under the
treaty OF July 81. 1855. A contest Was
instituted BY John s. Brubaker, notice OF
nearing being had by publication. the
same being set for December u, 1876 at
which time BrubaNcr appeared and the
ci'iinailt made default. Upon. the hear
ing III t.ie case the contestant (l,rubaker)
lrsilhed as follows: IL know Elizabeth
Na-Je-we-kwa, who made entry of tile
ABOVE described homestead and the Land
so entered by her. Said Ma jc-Me-kw;i
iias ABOUT an acre or two cropped, Lot
any cleared, not any house. and has
never made 1t her home U. ii. Shurl-
iii, u wliiicsS Tor contestant. testified as
ioiioWs: Il know the contents ut the
within affldavit made by John 5 Rru-
naher, Relative TO Tie abandonment OF
homestead 5l35 by Elizabeth Na-je-we-
k"a, anti know that all STATE meuIs ma. e
therein gre true
Brubaktr further made affid,,yit that
personal serUicC on said Elizabeth Ne jc-
foe-kara ards impracticablc for The yeosson
That her residence irds unkno,cn. Onthe
nearing of the case the contestant adj
United that the claimant, Elizabeth Ma
Je-we-kwa, lived in Cross Village, about
three miles and half from tie land.
Mr.. Brooks says in his report In
making lie invt sIigaiiOn in This case.
"a" MI. Brubaker, and was informed by
MN mat he lad no further evidence Ia
submit III the matter. / therefore took
.hv aiheivit OF The claimanI,> which is
!uiiy coriODorated by tie affidavits oil
Wlii''ni No-tO-wa-quay and Michael
GOA .o-nin, and flied herewith, from
when IL appears that the claimant is an
lava ana Chippewa Indian, ard never
,,,, any !2nd under the treaty of 1855
inat at The time her entry was made
sue was Il married woman, and. with heI
'us Daid. Mad been III POSSESSION of The
Iahu IOr SIX Yeas. Immediately the eli
II
iortaDle log house. 2oxlS feet. with two
wihuCws and one door. and has resided
inerein continuously since that date
Win lhe exception of the coolest part ul
the winter, when she has lived i'm Cross
Village Tor the purpose of sending he,
cniiuren TO school. She has about eight
acres cleared AMI under cultivation. AM
mas cultivated the same every YEAR slice
oi contest, and did not know that hel
and was advertised until long after the
hearlDg was had in the case: and if she
hau Deen notified, SHE coIild not lave &c
Iedlded for want of the necessary fluids
She also states that she is informed. tha
Brubaker has sold the land 10 one JOIN
Shurtliff.
VISITED and inspected the premises ir
eontcst In most Of the e.. seS referred Il
me. AS IL general rule found that tn,
condition OF the premises fully sus aimee
the statements il, tile affidayits OF th,
claimants, the principal discrepancy be
ihg III The amount cleared, the indians
having but little idea OF tile quantity o
iahu embraced in an acre, in consequence,
of which their estimates arc liable I,
oyer-run. .'i
"A nhmber OF other cases are given il
The report which show that these igno
rant Indians have been woeftlly wrong
Ed. Oae Instance is mentioned wher
1orcible possession was taken of a wo
mans ibin and her furniture throw,
out OF the window, and yet the contest
ants made oath that the claimant had new
er resided OH che Fund nor made any i'm
proyemenIs thereon. The correspondent
closes his letter by saying:
II have given enough to show tn