Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-02-07
BIG INDIAN LITTLE SHE'LL.
The Basis of His Claim to North
western Dakota,

western Dakota.
Tuesday afternoon the INTER OCEAN
was honored by visit from Little Shell.
chief Of the Turtle mountain Chime.
was. Little Shell was accompanied by
, his two cousins, Wa-ki-tchi.ki.jik and
: Os'kl-na'winse, and those redoubtable
mountaineers Kosh-rosh, Red Bear,
Black Cloud and Little Bull, the party
being under the escort of joseph
holette, son of the well-known individ-
uul OF that name who was member of
Mlnnesotas first constitutional conven-
ton, and Louis and Frank Moreau.
The two latter are half breeds, and Mr..
Rolette's grand parents were of the tribe
OF poor Lo. Little Shell was shown the
workings and machinery of the INTER.
OCEAN printing rooms, and as we ran
sheet through a Peerless press he
looked at US steadily for a moment, and
then turning to Interpreter Rolette
said, "He's hell" He examined the
types with great curiosity and thought
the Gem paper cutter would be u good
thing to cut his "kilakinnik."
The chief and his party left Wednes.
day for Washington, where they 20 on
important business. Little Shell went
to see the great father in 1882.
While there he was invited to the house
OF Mrs. DAhlgren, where he appeared in
the conventional breech. .clout and was
surrounded by an admiring and sympa.
thetic assemblage Of ladies. He wear.
the same garment on this his second
visit to the national capital.
Little Shell continues to reassert his
claim to all the northwestern portion of
Dakota, including the ground on which
Devils Lake now stands. The busis of
his claim will be of some interest to the
pale-iuces who have laid large blocks of
scrip in this region. lie stated through
Interpreter Rolette that he had been to
Fort Totten to see Wah-ne-tuh, a Sioux
| chief on the reservation there who holds
the articles of a treaty made ut Prairie
du Chien, Wis, in 1887 or '38 between
the Sioux and the Chippewas and half
breeds. BY the terms OF the treaty all
Of northwestern Dakota was ceeded to
the Chippewas and half breeds. Later
on, about rs years ago, according to
Louis MORGAN. another treaty was made
between the tribes. The council was
held ut or near what is now known az
Cnvanughs lake, ten miles north of this
city. BY this treaty the Chippewas and
half breeds were given all that region
lying north Of the Shcycnnc river, and
the Sioux took all the country living
south OF that stream. Morean was
present ut that council, and he tells us
the country was then swarming with
buffalo. There was reciprocal clause
permitting either tribe to hunt in the
possessions of the other, showing that
the most peaceful relations prevailed.
In 1882 Little Shell and others went
to Washington to see Secretary Teller.
The secretary informed the chief that
all this country had been cecded by the
Sioux to the L. $. government, and that
was why it had been opened to settle.
ment. Little Shell says the Sioux deny
this and insist that the country belongs
to the Chippewns and half breeds.
The object of Little Shells visit now
IS to have his reservation Mt the noun
tains enlarged from the two townships
to which it was reduced short time
ago, to dimensions sufficient to cover an
area that will afford his tribe a perma.
nent and profitable home. The Chip
pcwas and half breeds in the mountains
now number about 1900 souls. There
are 1000 others in Montana who will
come this way as soon MS the reservation
is enlarged.
Little Shell will also ask the govern.
ment TO furnish agricultural impIe.
ments and work cattle for the men now
Oh the reservation. They want aid for
few years until they can become self
supporting. He will also ask for schools
and mills. Interpreter Rolette reports
that four OF the tribe recently died Of
starvation and exposure, and he claims
that Agent Wells could greatly allay
the sutterings Of the Indians by issuing
food to the needy.
Little Shell says that since he first
came into contact with the whites he
never did anything against them or their
government. He wants to be treated
as we'll, at least, us those tribes of In
dians who have committed depreda-
tons and murders, and thinks it strange
that the great father" will not do as
we'll by good Indian as he does by
bad one.
We do not sound a needless alarm when
we tell you that the taint of scrofula is in
your blood. Inherited or acquired, it is
there, and Ayers Sarsaparilla alone will