Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1882-05-31
n ming tho Reservations

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The 60 haaaa Winnchase Traess.
Sieux Ciiy Journal.
The attempt being made to open
up The the great Sioux reservation
III southwestern Dakota will be
watched with much interest by our
citisens. The region proposed to
open is about the size of Pennsylya-
mia, and when occupied by settlers
most Of this area will be tributary TO
the wholesale trade Of this city. Not
only this, but the greater country
west Of the great reservation will be
made accessible to railroads and to
our shippers when the Indian title
is extingnished. Delegate Pettigrew's
bill is not revolutionary. II simply
provides for commission to treat
with the various bands about select
ing such land as is likely to be need
ed by the families in the band, the
claim o,, the rest Of the reservation
TO be surrendered TO the government
for a consideration.
The plan is good one. Itissub-
stantialIy the same as was adopted
in Senator Saunders bill providing
~ ! sale 81 i part Of the Omaha
reser yation, only in the latter case
the land is 70 be sold directly to cit
liens, and does not 60 in bulk to the
government ard then to the settler,
as in the Pettigrew plan. Small res
ervations surrounded by settlements
can best be cut down to a business
basis by the Saunders system, larger
ones by the Pettigrew plan. It is
added that it did not occur to the
Nebraska senator to include the Win
nebago reservation. The situation of
the Omahas and Winnebagoes is all
most parallel, the only difference be-
ing that the Omahas in council as
sembled proposed to sell a part OF
their reservation. which the Winnie
bagoes have not yet done.
1t is little odd that Boston phil
anthropists have not discovered that
the plan Of Mr.. Pettigrew will be a
benefit to the Indians. Their i'm
naettse reservations, now all surrond-
ca BY white settlement, are Of posi-
lively no use to them, excepting the
comparatively small area around the
agencies. The game has been killed
of, and even If it had not it is pro-
posed to disarn the different tribes,
so that as hunting grounds the res
ervations are useless. More than
this the reservations, SO immensely
and uselessly large, are constant
temptation to settlers and cattle men
who need the land and pasture from
which they are kept for no sensible
reason.
With the reservations cut down TO
such size as the different Indian
- A
bands are likely to need, either for
farming or cattle raising, there need
be no trouble between the whites
and reds. There are small Indian
reservations on Long Island, in west
ern New Yerk, northern Pennsylva-
mia and western North Carolina,
where the Indians have lived for
more than hundred years undis-
turbed by their white neighbors.
These reservations are small enough
TO fit the tribes that occupy them,
hence no one thinks oftrying to force
them off. But suppose, if such a
thing can be supposed, that Maine,
New Hampshire and Vermont were
setapartas reservation for about1S-
QUO Indians. The Bostonian would
then kick as vigorously for the open
ing Of the reservation as the Dead-
wood man does now.
There seems to be no good reason
why the commission provided for in
Delegate Pettigrew's bill to treat with
the Sioux about selecting the part Of
Of the reservation they need, and
selling the rest, might not be extend
ed to other reservations. The Crows
in Montana, the Sisseton Sioux in
eastern Dakota, the scattered bands
on the Red Lake reservations in
Minnesota, the Omahas and Winnie
bagoes in Nebraska, and numerous
other bands have more lands than
they can use. The commission
should go on with the treaties of sale
with other tribes after getting
through with the Sioux. The ques-
ton Of opening the reservations is
one Of great and growing importance
in the west, and cannot be put back
long. To do the work well, to keep
out all jobbery and land stealing, a
respectable commission should be
chosen. Undue haste is not desired,
but beginning, such as is provided
for in the bill before congress, is de-