The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-10-03
The Richest Redskins.

vi all the Indians in the United States
says correspondent, the Crows ale per-
haps the richest, as they certainly are the
LATEST. According to their own esti-
mate they number I 100 women, 800
men, no boys, and go girls-3. 500 in
all, about 300 in excess of what the in
terror department in Washington has it.
The Crows have 4,7l3, 900 acres re-
served to them, which comprise some of
the very best agricultural and grazing
lands in the United States. Their reser-
walton is in Custer County, Montana,
and contains more land than some of the
States of our Union. 1t is situated on
the south bank of the Yellowstone river,
with frontage of nearly one hundred
miles on that stream, and takes in com
plete the beautiful valleys of the
Little and Big Horn rivers, be-
beside many other rich meadow lands
made fertile by the numerous streams
which take their rise in the Big Horn
mountains. 1t is indeed beautiful
country, and the Indians know it as well
as the whites do; for it was in the same
beautiful valley of the Little Horn,
eight years ago, that Sitting Bull and his
thousand warriors, rather than give up
their birthright to the pale faces, fought
General Custer and his soldiers until the
last cavalryman lay dead on the field.
Ever since that memorable day in 1876
the Sioux have had no home. They were
hunted by the United States troops and
renegades of their own tribe, were driven
about from point to point all over North
ern Montana, and finally compelled to
capitulate to Colonel Ilges and the mill
tary at Poplin river on June 7, 1880. As
soon as the last Sioux Indian was made
prisoner, Congress took in hand the mai
ter OF their inheritance. and by an agree.
ment made with the Crows on June 10,
/ 1880 five days after the surrender). and
/ approved by Congress on June II, 1882,
| the Crow Indians fell heir to the very
lands the Sioux Indians had forfeited by
reason of being at war with the United
States government. This was the bitter
est pill the Sioux had ever been forced to
swallow, 1t distressed them far more to
see their hated foes established in their
own beloved home than all the losses
they had sustained in the Little Horn
fight.
But the Grows are there, free to roam
at will over four million acres of beauti-
/
ancient enemies, the unfortunate Sioux,
are penned up at Pine Ridge, Standing
Rock and other agencies, under the sur
veilance of the military, virtually pris-
oners of war.
OF these four million seven hundred
and thirteen acres belonging to the
Crows at least one million acres are
capable of the highest cultivation. Yet,
during all of last year and up to the
present date, there were but ten acres
cultivated by the government for the
Indians, and one hundred and twenty
five acres titled by the Crows themselves
without assistance from anybody From
the one hundred and twenty five acres
handled by the red men were obtained
about one thousand five hundred bushels
Of vegetables, which were consumed en-
tirely by themselves. Last year the
Crows put up thirty-five tons of hay and
cut over three hundred cords of wood.
The winter months, as is the custom
among all tribes, were spent in hunting
for game among the mountains and on
the plains.
But the Crows, with keener insight
than is possessed by ordinary redskins,
have always kept an eye to business as
we'll as to pleasure, and in consequence
they returned from their last winters
hunt with not only goodly supply of
meat for their squaws and papooses, but
also with nine thousand dollars worth of
robes furs, peltries and skins. The
principal wealth of the Crows lies in
their large and fine herds of ponies,
which are unequalled on the continent
for metle and endurance.