Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-10-10

~ RSccSUShVo Va b1G CUunbLy lOEnSGEky W.
eupied by the Yanktonnais. They were
not engaged in the troubles OF 1852 and
1853, and have always been friendly and
d peace with eur people. A treaty OF
amity and peace was made with them
10 1865. at Fort Rice, where they receiv d
q they had NO reservation they
were advised to come down and
occupy the Crow Greek reservation
which WAS then almost deserted and
where agency buildings were already
erected, with the tacit understanding
that they should possess il in lieu
OF their own lands which had been taken
from them. This many OF them
did and have ever since remained there.
They were not parties to the treaty
Of 1868 and claim that they were not in
vited to participate in the making Of
that treaty. An examination of the
treaty discloses the fact that il Was
signed April 20, 1858, at Fort Laramie,
by twenty-five chiefs and head men of
the Bruie Sioux, and is duly Witnessed
by eight witnesses, three of whom were
Interpreters. It is next signed by thirty
nine chiefs and head men Of the OgaI-
lalas May %, and Witnessed by ten per-
sons, four of whom were Interpreters.
It is signed next by seventeen Mime
conjous May 26th, and witnessed by two
Interpreters aud two others.
1t next purports to be signed by Ma
*, Non.pa (Two Bears) and twenty three
other chiefs and head men of the Yank-
tonais band of Sioux. There is no date
or place mentioned, and the signatures
are not Witnessed by any one, not even
the INTERPRETER, which, to say the least,
looks little curious. While it is true
that they have been furnished with an
nu'ty goods, ETC., under the provisions
of the treaty of 1893, they feel that there
10 yet an unextinguIshed title in them
as tribe, to the land now occupied by
them. Patents were issued to many Of
them by the writer, during his term of
service as their agent, which were duly
approved by the commissioner of Indian
affairs and the secretary of the in
terror, for lands in severalty, and
they now have good houses and
fields, and are in prosperous condition.
It would appear, therefore, taking this
matter into consideration in all its pha-
ses, that, as the only proper thing to be
done, IN order that justice may be done
alike to the settlers who have gone there
in good faith and to the Indians, . COM
mission should be appointed. composed
OF men who are familiar with the mat
ter. to visit these Indians on their reser-
vation with view, first, to the extin-
guishment of all claims the Indians may
have, under any pretext whatever, to
ownership of all the lands em.
braced in the limits of the two
reservations, except those held and oc-
cupied under their patents; second,
confirming to those who occupy their
lands in severalty and have adopted the
habits of the whites their absolute poe-
session, giving them encouragement, and
aid to q reasonable extent, in the way
of agricultural implements, clothing,
ETC., until they shall become self-sup-
porting; and third, wedding out the
drones and idlers who do not desire to
take up land, and who will not work and
provide for their removal from the in
dustrlous class. Thus would be formed
of community of Indians who, kind and
friendly in disposition, intelligent, and
keen observers naturally of what is GO
ing on around them. surrounded by in
dustrlous white settlers. who learn more
from daily intercourse with and OBJ
servation of the ways, manners and
customs and doings in everyday life of
their neighbors in regard to tilling the
soil, raising crops, stock, etc, than
could be taught them in any other man.
nor. Many years experience has shown
pretty conciusIvely that the policy of
isolating large bodies of Indians, feed
ing. clothing and maintaining them in
utter idlenes's has not been very sue
cessfnl in advancing them in the ways
of civilization and a reversal of that
policy would bring about the desired
end in much shorter period of time.
GEO. 81. SPENCER.