The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-05-28

the department regarding the merits of
the measures therein proposed, and any
information that the department may
see fit to furnish.
In reply, / would respectfully submit
that as at present advised, this office is
opposed to the passage Of the bl1 in its
present form. 1t is believed that the
Indians of the Fort Belknap agency
would have very serious objections to
the reduction of the reservation to the
extent proposed in the bill. Their
agent reports that they appear to be
quite willing to relinquish q large por-
tion of the territory claimed by them,
upon the most reasonable terms as re-
CARDS compensation, but that, IN the
event of a reduction Of the reservation,
they desire to retain for their continued
use and occupancy all the country that
lies between the Milk river on the north
and the Missouri river on the south, and
between Bull Hook or Buckman's creek
(Which he sis about six miles east Of
Fort Assinaboine) on the west and the
confluence of the Milk and Missouri
rivers on the east The bill under con-
sideration leaves them but a small por-
ton of the territory described, as will
readily be seen on examination of map
herewith. The territory wanted by the
Indians is indicated by blue lines, and
that described in the bill as a permanent
reservation for them 10y red lines. The
agent urges that it would be very unfair
to take the Little Rocky mountains
away from the Indians, inasmuch as
they will be very necessary to them IN
the future for the timber that grows
there, and for grazing purposes. lie
says he would hardly be willing to have
the western line placed much, ii any,
east of the present site of Fort Belknap,
and certainly not further east than
Snake creek, which he states to be Is
miles .east of Fort Belknap. by all
means be says, 1.-The Missouri river on
the south for the boundary line"
Another objection that think ought
to be made to the bill is that il entirely
ignores the Indians at Fort Peck agency
in the matter of compensation. The In
dians at the Blackfoot agency are, by
the terms of the bill, to receive $4,000
annually for a period of fifteen years,
and a like sum is to be given to the In
dians at Fort Belknap agency for the
same period, but no provision whatever
is made for the care and maintenance OF
the Indians at Fort Peck agency.
According to the last annual report of
the agency, the number OF Indians re-
siding in its vicinity and attached there
to is 5,675-nearly as many as the COM
bined number of the other two agencies
and whether they have as strong
grounds to lay claim to the country oc-
cupied by them as the Fort Belknap
and Blackfoot agency Indians have to
claim the country where they reside, or
not. they certainly have lived there long
enough to be able to set up and main
tain, according to Indian logic and Gus
tom among them. a very respectable
claim to ownership based upon occupan-
cy, at least as against the Indians be-
longing to the agencies west OF them.
They were in occupation.of the country
many years prior to the establishment
of the reservation, and they have con-
tinued in occupation up to the present
time. The reservation as at present ex-
listing was created by act OF congress
April 10Th, 1874 (stat. IL, p. 2S)
except small strip south OF the Mis-
souri, river. opposite the Fort Peck agen-
cy, which was set apart by executive
order dated April 18th, 1875.
do not find that the Blackfoot ma
ton ever claimed any territory east OF.
the mouth of Milk river. The east line
of the country claimed by them is pre-
sumed to have been the line agreed
upon in the'making of the treaty OF 1855
(stat. II, D. 658), which was straight
line drawn from the mouth OF said river
to the British line-the 49th parallel,
and reference to the act Of April 18th,
1874, shows that the present reservation
was not created for the Blackfoot nation
1 - o1-f IT ~
the Gros Ventre, Piegan, Blood and
Blackfoot tribes). On the contrary, it
was set apart for the use and occupation
Of G athe % Gros Ventre, Piegan, Blood,
BIackfoot. River Grow and such other
Indians as the president may from time
to time, see fit to locate thereon The
Indians at Fort Peck agency are there
with the consent of the government,
and they undoubtedly feel that they
have as good a claim to the lands occu-
pied by them as their neighbors on the
west side have to theirs. They are an
industrious people, and there is scarcely
a family that does not do something in
the way Of farming. They are sadly IN
need of assistance. Last. year their
crops tailed entirely, owing to severe
drought, and they were left on the verge
of starvation, bat it is believed that a
repetition Of such misfortune might
be prevented by means of suitable sys-
tenn of irrigation. .
A subcommittee designated by the
select committee of the senate appointed
under resolution of March 2, 1888, visited
the Blackfeet and Fort Belknap agen-
cies during the fall of last year, investi-
gated their affairs and held councils with
he Indians. Their report, which will
be found of interest in the consideration
of the present bill, is published in senate
report No. 283, 48th congress, 1st session
(see bottom page 20 to page "a.
mi f1of Tv.Is froc 1xv