Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1885-04-14
THE MANITOBA REVOLT.

A Half Breed Letter Setting Forth
Some of the Reasons for DiscOn-
teat.
The following letter was received at the
Office Of the Winnipeg Sun in July last
from J. Isbister, one of the delegates who
visited Montana for the purpose of secur-
ing Riel's advice and services in effecting q
settlement of matters in dispute between
the half-breeds in the Prince Albert district
and the Dominion Government:
PRINCE ALBERT SETTLEMENT,
ST. CATHARlNE's PARISH, July %. '84.
To the Editor of the Sun Sir: A treaty
was made in 1875 with the poor Indians
out here. The promises were good, but
they have never been fulfilled. When the
half-breeds, both English and French,
went to speak to Gov. Morris they were
asked not to interfere with the Indians,
that there would be no delay and that the
half-breeds would be attended to immedi-
ately. Ever since, and up to the present
moment, petition upon petition has been
drawn up with the peoples grievance, and
sent down to the Ottawa Government, but
with no result. How many are there in
this settlement who can produce a free
patent with regard to land taken before
1870, or even as to the lands taken In
1852? l was the first settler in this settle
ment. l lived alone with my wife and
two small children in the wild times OF
the Indian tribes, and when leaving my
home on a hunting excursion after buffalo,
with my little family, 1 found on my re-
turn that the house had been burst open,
the boxes broken and clothing and pro-
visions taken. Afterwards I had to dig
large cellars in through the fir wood, be-
tween this place and Carleton, and cache
my stuff until / made a sufficient hunt for
the Winter. Then l carted all TO the
house, where I Wintered and vent on with
my improvements. To tell how l had to
live in bringing the wild Indian to live in
peace with the white man would take q
great many sheets Of paper. But to this
day / am not afraid to say that I am re-
spected by the Indians and by others be-
sides. Yet. where is the free patent for
my little portion of land, or who should
hold the first pstent2 How has the
screw been turned on the settlers of
the Northwest that they have nothing
to show their rights to the land oc-
cupied? Yet the officials OF the Canadian
Government here insist on farmers paying
timber dues for the fence required to build
around a few acres of land, and q little
dry wood required to boil a teakettle.
Yet 1 believe a man the first year settled
can get from this same Government about
sixty logs free, which is supposed to do
for himself and stock. Therefore il Is
necessary that we should secure the same
rights as the people of Manitoba; and we
should get no blame but sympathy from
those who see how the people Of the North
west are dealt with. Having no n in
whom we could place confidence to act in
our interest. and seeing that our members
are satisfied with promises only, We still
waited patiently until the timber dues
were cut to a fine point. the best surveyed
lands were given to colonization COM
panies, and we were told by Government
officials that no provision had been made
for the half-breeds of the Northwest, and
only for those of Manitoba. The people,
both English and French half-breeds, ap-
pointed q delegation to be sent by Mr..
Riel, who could soon give proper satisfac-
ton as to whether the Northwest was in
cluded in the Manitoba treaty or not. This,
to satisfy the people, he has already ex-
planned.