Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-08-10
MILE Laos REsERVAEIoN.

Why the Indiana are Alarmed-The Move
ments of Land Grabbers-No Satisfaction
for the Indian Bureau.
In May last the GLOBE reported the proceed
ings of meeting of citizens of Morrison couu-
ty, held at Little Falls, and called at request
of certain Mile Laos Indians, who desired that
their white neighbors should procure for them
from the Indian bureau some assurance of
their being left in undisturbed possession of
their small reservation at the outlet Of Mile
Laos. They, the Indians referred to, hold the
reservation under q treaty in which the repre-
sentatiyes of their bands probably exceeded
their authority by acknowledging the para
mount title of the United States TO the lands,
but in which they are granted the sole use and
good behavior. As matter of fact and
law their title is as good as any
Indian title recognized in modern treaties
with our northern Indians. The Indians have
the right of occupation subject only to the
paramount right of the government. and this
Indian title of occupation may be extinguish-
ed by treaty or by aot of Congress, as Congress
stand that this is a fact. They also understand
that for years certain white men, speculators
in land scrip and similar devices for obtaining
timber lands without competition in buying
and for less than the lands would cost if hon.
estly entered for cash, have made repeated ef
forts to obtain claim of title to the valuable
pieces on this small Mile Laos reservation.
These speculators on one occasion obtained 9
clandestine ruling from Secretary Chandler
which, If it had not been discovered and re-
voked, would have put them in legal possession
of the Mile Lacs pines. Their latest attempt
was by filing soldiers additional homestead
certificates against the land. These filings, Il
| is true, have been rejected by Secretary Schurz
but the owners of the certificates claim to have
acquired q color of title which they can convert
into an actual title when Mr.. Schurz is sue
ceeded by one of their friends or when Con
gress passes an act to extinguish the lndlar
title Furthermore among the timber trespasi
cases lately pending in the United States cour
and which have been suspended under q late
act of Congress to allow the trespassers te
enter the timber lands trespassed upon, at thu
government minimum valuation of 81 rs an
acre, without competition and in preference tt
honest men-were some cases of trespass upOr
these pine lands of tho Mile Lscs reservation
The Indians fear, from no exception being
made, that here is another scheme for taking
away their lands and their fear in this respect il
increased by their understanding that in aomt
other instances money for stuppage has been
collected from trespassers upon their lands,
but they have had no benefit from the money
and have no knowledge why it is withheld
from them. In short the Indians have abun-
dant cause for apprehension and no adequate
assurance that the government will protect
them from their enemies. the pine-iand grab
bers.
The Little Falls meeting above referred te
appointed N Richardson, Leon Houde and j.
Simmons committee to address the Indian
bureau ON behalf of the Mile Laos bands. II
is Iersumable that this committee laid all The
facts before the bureau. The answer TO theil
communication, dated the 9th of last month
and signed by E. J. Brooks, acting commits
sioner of Indian affairs, says. THAT there il
no law authorizing the sale OIL
entry of any of the lands embraced within
the Millie Lacs reservation, and in the absence
of such law no such sale or entry can be made. y
But in the act providing for settlement of the
timber trespass cases there does appear to
be such a law as to that part of the reservation
trespassed upon, and in the purpose of the Re-
publican party to elect to Congress from this
district a representative of the pine.land grab
bers there is danger of some other law being
smuggled through Congress to provide fol-
stealing the rest of the reservation.
What the Indians need and should have il
an assurance that they will be protected in
their rights by the government. Possibly Mr.
Brooks could not give such an assurance. Ht
certainly has not given it in stating no more
than what was conveyed in the ruling annul
ing the late filings against these Indian lands.
Probably the best and only assurance of theil
rights which could be given these poor Indians
would be in the results of resolve by the citi
zens of this district to discountenance and op
pose the land grabbers and pine stealers, and
their friends.