Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-12-07
CAN ,DA'S INDIAN SCANDAL.

Indians.
Toronto, Noy. 3o-The Indian scandal
unearthed this week by daily paper
here brings to light most shockingly
lphuman state of affairs existing in the
relations of the Canadian government
and the Indians of the Canadian North
west. The people OF Canada, it is point
ed out. contribute $l,l00.00O to assist the
Indians of the northwest and provide
them with the necessRries of life during
the winter, or whenever they are unable
to get supplies from natural sources. OF
this amount, it is shown, over $l.0O0,0O0
is annually expended by Lieut.. Gov,
Dewdney of the northwest territories
and his multitude of Indian agents In
serving the remainder OF the appropria-
tlon IN The shape OF supplies to the starry
ing ina!ans. THESE agents, the paper
states:
"Gobbie up the bulk of the Indian
supplies, grow rich, come east, get into
society and fashionable churcn and
are looked upon rs respectable, while
the bones OF numerous Indians who
have starved to death whIten the PLAINS
OF the Canadian Northwest. and the
groans OF starving sqnaws. and the wall
OF dying papooses ke certain parts OF
the country, which Lb habit, one of
most miserable placea s {, world for
the traveller or tourist u v.s4t
The newspaper which made the ex-
posure OF this ludiap scandal has obtain.
cd extract from reports of Northwest
mounted police commissioners cad In
dian commissioners and Others whIch
had previously been carefully suppress
ed by the, Canadian government. La,
one OF these reports which was sent to
Lieut.. Gov. Dewdney, the Indian COM
missioner of Manitoba, some time ago,
states that at Walsh, N. Nv. IT., there
were "over two thousand In
dlans almost naked and on
tue verge of starvation, and that
many OF them would perish unless early
assistance was rendered. The Indian
agent at Walsh soon after this reported
that he had resolved instructions to
keep the Indians about his fort on
starvation allowance The condition
of the Indians at Fort Walsh, when
made known to Lieut.. Gov. Dewdney,
had the effect OF inducing him to take
the most humane and generous p action
indicated IN the following order to the
Indian agent at Fort Walsh for the re-
lief OF the starving Indians:
Yours of February LIST received, In.
crease rat,ons supply slightly. Pur.
chase two hundred lbs. tea, fifty lbs.
tobacco, and distribute iudiciously and
were most needed.
(Signed0 e. DBwpNEY,
~ Lieut.. Governor.
About q week after this Lieut.. Gov.
Dewdney sent q commissioner to Walsh
30 report on the Indians there, noEwith-
standing the fact that four reliable
officials were authority for the state
ment that the Indians out west were
sick and dying OF starvation. The
commissioners sent In his report about
four months later, and IN the main CON
hrmed the former reports on the con-
dition OF the Indians at Fort Walsh,
The following passage in the report of
q medical man who visited Plapot's
camp and the Assinaboine reservation to
relieve the suffering Indians at the
request of the government, shows the
| condition of the Indians in another
quarter:
In Piapot's camp, prescribed for
thirty five and in the Assinaboine camp
| for thirty-seven Indians, ip all seventy
two, suffering from phthlsIc, bronchitis, j,
hemorrhage from the lungs, dysentery,
| opthalma. nenonhogia, abcesses and
enlarged glands of the neck, tuis,crs,
suppuratipg Inflammation of ear,
hemorrhage from bladder, chores,
gonorrhoea, and starvation, ii
the last can be recorded as disease. ]
find that in the last three months
thirteen deaths have taken place in each
reserve, in all twenty six, very heavy
death rate: and from all / can gather,
death has been accelerated, if not i'm.
mediateiy caused, by the scant supply oil
food served out to these Indians. Al
the present time this condition oi
starvation is more evident among the
Assinaboines, as the Crees have lately
obtained supplies for cutting wood.
saw several children in the Assinsboint
camp worn and wasted, and unless
properly fed must die IN few daye
The old medicine man asked me If ]
could give him some medicine to ave
by him that would be helpful when tht
Indians tainted, as from their seapty
and insufficient Trations, many OF then
suffer in that way. 1t may not come
| withinimy province to report this con
dition OF starvation, but am we'll satis
fed that il they were sufficiently fe,
there would be less tendency to lines
. among them.
The disclosure OF this disgraceful stat
OF affairs has created much indignatio,
, all over Canada; and, unless the govern
ment takes steps to afford the necsssar
reliet TO the starving Indians, and pre-