Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-24
ing. think it is right you should help
them to retain their homes.
Ex-REPREsENTAT1vE HoUDE


said it was no more than right that the peo-
pie of Morrison county should do what they
could for these Indians. He had dealt with
them and found them honest. When We
needed them they came with flag of peace
and hands extended. Those who are trying
to take their lands are spectators. The
order by Secretary Chandler, under which it
is attempted to take the lands, was fraud.
Our government is pledged to these Indians
that they may stay where they are during
good behavior. They have behaved well.
No one in Morrison county can complain of
their conduct.
Ex-REPREsENTATIvE RICHARDSON
said: It is as they have stated. Likely,
had it not been for our Mile Laos friends,
Hole-in-the-Day would have gone on with
his war preparations. We were delivered
from massacre by the strong stand of the
Mile Laos bands in favor of the whites.
Their warriors, about 100 in number, came
over to Little Falls and from here went to
Fort Ripley and saw Indian Commissioner
Dole, who was highly pleased with their con-
duct, and officially reported that they were
entitled to great credit. If it were not that
there is pine on their lands they would new
or be troubled. The land is not valuable
for farming, but the situation is almost per-
feet for the Indians. They have abundant
stores of fish in the lakes and fine fields of
wild rice, SO that they can live
comfortably, and all that they do raise
from the soil or gather from the forests
serves to add Injuries to their comfort. But
the pine makes them trouble. It does seem
as if the pine land grabbers will never be
content so long as there is pine tree in the
State which they do not own. The only
complaints ever made about this people have
come from those interested in pine cutting.
On this side of the lake where there are no
numbering interests they are uniformly con-
sidered good neighbors. And when proof
was asked as to complaints alleged by the
pine grabbers, not an affidavit could be pro-
duced or any trustworthy evidence what
ever. I see no reason why We should not in
tercede for these Indians and ask that JUS
tice be done them. And while would
help them for other reasons than fear of
them, nevertheless consider that we ought
not to be subjected to the chances of an out
break for benefit of the pine land grabbers.
If they, the pine grabbers, were to be the
ones to lose their scalps he might be willing
w l0b tuOLu ~ uuOoO Will tu0AI koIu0s
At the conclusion of Mr.. Richardson's re-
marks the meeting voted that Leon Houde,
Jonathan Simmons and r. M. Richardson
be the committee to draft, circulate and for
ward the proposed petition, with statement
of the condition and grievances of the In
dams, to be prepared, at their request, by
Mr.. Richardson, and the meeting, in which
all present seemed to have felt deep inter-
est, was then adjourned.
HISTORICAL.
The Mile Laos reservation, consisting of
four fractional townships on the southern
shore of the lake; embracing 61,O14 acres
was set apart for the Miles Laos and Snake
river bands of Chippewas under a general
treaty with the Chippewas, which is dated
February 22d, 1856. By treaty proclaim.
ed March 10, 1868, in making which the
| Mile Laos bands were represented by Sho-
bosh-kong, Manourin- e-ke-shan, Pe-pud-
anz, Te-daw-kaw-mo-say, Mozo-man-nay
Way-sa-ws- gwa-Daib. and Meno-ge-shig, the
| title to this reservation was ceded to the gov.
| eminent with a proviso ''that owing to the
heretofore good conduct of the Mile Laos
Indians, they shall not be compelled to re-
move as long as they shall not in sny way
interfere with or in any manner modest the
persons or property of the whites.' This
treaty gave way to one proclaimed March 20
1865, which was made on
the part of all the Indians
by only Hole-in- the Day and Turtle. The
provisions of the treaty of 1868 were re-
tanned as to the cession of reservations, in
Guiding q clause that none of the bands
should be compelled to remove until the
government had fulfilled certain stipulations
(which it has not yet entirely fulflled), and
also the special proviso for the Mile Lacs
above quoted. There is not an article OF
this treaty which the government or its
agents have not violated, while the Indians
have strictly and in good faith done all that
they promised.
The pine land grabbers have, from the
first, annoyed and injured these Mile Lacs
people. Twenty-Five years ago they de.
stroyed their best rice fields, entailing loss
of several thousand bushels of rice annually
for several years, by entering upon the Indi
an lands without permission and building 6
dam across the outlet of the lake, which
| OVERLOOKED the rice lakes and killed the rice.
OF late years, however, the lumbermen who
control the matter, have been careful, in
their saving water for driving, not to injure
the rice fields, and the supply of rice is nov
larger than ever.
Numerous attempts have been made to
steal the pine on this little reservation.
Bogus half breed scrip has been filed on it.
under which filing some of the timber was
cut and carried off, for which the Indians
have not been paid. Presumption and home
stead claims have been filed against it and
the land department was at one time
assured that several hundred white
families had gone on and made valuable
farming Improvements, which singularly
enough were on pine lands instead of farm;
ing lands. In one way and another all these
frauds and grab games have been defeated;
but the present one is more formidable. 1t
is part of scheme to establish claims to all
the pines on the Indian reservations which,
though worthless for the present, may serve
to preclude competition when at last the
pines come into market. Congressional leg
islation ought to be had for protection of the
white people of the State against the timber
monopolists; and in this case of the Mile
Laos Congress should allow them to have
lands and rice ponds and fishing privileges,
inslienable for long term of years, and
then sell the timber to the public, for cash,
for the benefit of the Indians. ALI that it
would bring, at fair competitive sale,
would not recompense them for what has
l. IL