The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-12-30
the PAssAmAouoDDY INDIANS,
recommendations of the Committee
of the Council REGARDING Their
Complaints.

AUGUSTA, Dec 29.-The committee of the
Council, composed Of Messrs. Locke, Bixby
and Sands, that has been investigating the
complaints and claims of the Passamaquod-
dy Indians, reported today. The claim of
the Indians was that the treaties with them
had been broken, in taking, selling and leas-
ing their lands and in depriving them of the
right of unrestricted hunting and fishing.
The committee made as full an investiga-
tion of the treaties as was possible and their
conclusions based upon their investigation
are given in the following language:
Your committee consider that the Passa-
maquoddy Indians possess no right of hunt
ing and fishing except as is granted to all by
the general laws or statutes of the State and
they are equally holden with all good cti-
zens OF the State and strangers to obey and
support these laws.
As to fishing, said Indians are equally
bound to obey the general laws and statutes,
unless they possess the right of fishing in
certain waters as granted in said treaty
which the state has no authority to regulate,
by virtue of its power and authority as
guardian over said tribe.
These Indians are wards of the State, so
treated and recognized In other words the
State is the guardian of the Indian tribes
within its limits. If this is the case, then it
is the duty of the State to take care Of, man
age and control the property of these tribes
IN prudent and economical manner and for
their benefits. To this end it would be the
States duty, if it found their property being
deprecated in value or wasting away, to
save the same and invest the proceeds in
such way and manner that the Indians
should derive the benefit therefr0m. In ac-
cordance with this idea of the States duty
| YOUR committee presume that the "resOlye
| providing for the sale of timber and grass
| on the Indian township" approved March
| 30, 1853, was passed (Resolves 1857, chapter
| 81 under which motion there was received by
| the trustees of the State $4,000, the inter
| est on which amount at six per cent. is ap-
| proprated annually for the benefit of the
Passamaquoddy Indians. Under this and
| subsequent Resolves the State now holds a
| fund of $24, .S4, the income of which is
applied annually for the benefit Of said In
dianS.
Whether or not the State has had legal au-
thority for 50 doing is not for your commit
| tee to decide, but certainly IL is better for
these Indians that the State has managed
| their affairs in this way, and your committee
| are of the opinion that as heretofore no OBJ
| lection has been raised to this mode of pro-
cedure on the part of the State, and these
Indians have annually received the income
from the money received from the sale Gi
timber and grass and the leasing of land
without any pretext or objection they are in
| equity and good morals estopped from max
| ing any complaint.
The Passamaquoddy Indians are desirious
of having possession of the strip of land ad.
Joining their land at Pleasant Point, as ex.
pressed to our committee by many members
OF your tribe. The boundary line of the In.
dian Reservation Is very indefinite, and dis
| putes have arisen as to its location The
original deeds mention as landmarks to start
from "a stake and dwelling house, The
stake is not there, and the location of the
dwelling house has long since disappeared
Your committee cannot better show this con.
dltlon OF feeling of that portion of the tribe
occupying Pleasant Point than by quoting
| from letter to one of the committee writ
ten by Rev. John O'DOwd, the priest in at.
tendance among these Indians, an earnest
man, who is giving his life and best ener
| gles for their good work and improvement
He writes
The shortest way to end the dispute about tn,
Indian boundary, 1t seems TO me, would be to pur
chase for our Indians all of Pleasant Point fron
the carrying place. at West Quoddy, the Who'll,
| OF the peninsular. If the gentlemen appointed a,
committee on Indian affairs knew what an advan
tage and encouragement it would be- in the lin,
ol raislng cattle and crops, to our Indians, the,
would, think. recommend to the "Housen thi
| purchase OF this tract of land. Our Indians ar,
| getting more cramped year by year. Basket asl
IS very difficult to procure ana expensive. Assn
gle butt costs over dollar, and sometimes a
much as two dollars. From an ordinary size,
butt, when it is beaten, smart Indian can maxi
six baskets in two days; for them he gels fift,
| cents each,-$240 after having expended nei
| haps Sl50 for the butt. 1t is impossible for then
to make living at basket making under thes
| circumstances. The price Of guIls' breasts TO
| ornamenting ladies' hats has been greatly re
| duced, besides the Dominion Government h Is fol
hidden ourIndians TO shoot gulls on Grand Mana
Island or its vicinity. 1t was from that localit
our Indians brought most of their guIls' breasts
These are their best sources of profit and failin
I these, they would be obliged to turn their after
tlon to raising cattle and crops if thew had suff
| cient land. great deal of land on the pepinsu
lar at Pleasant Point, which is lying waste woul
suit for tillage, besides our Indians would b
healthier and happier with bettor farms to cult
| yate.
The letter ends with hope that the Legis
lature will make an appropriation for thi
purchase.
Considering all the foregoing facts, you
committe recommends the following resolve
or one similar, be passed at the coming ses
sion Of the Legislature:
Resolved, That the Governor. with the advice {
lhe 4ouhcll be and Is hereby authorized TO y
pulnI iWO commissioners. who are hereby empty
eLea, ~ Denai OF tne state, to purchase OF y, VI
iassnnaguoddy tribe Of Indians such OF VI the
sell; also any right of fishing they may have u
! | der treaty made by the Commonwealth of Mass
ehusetts with said tribe Sept. 20, 1874, approve
Feb 10, 1895; also to purchase for the State L
the use OF said tribe, such land between the Sa
ry1ng Place, al West Quoddy and ths Indian ne
eryatlon on Pleasant Point as they deem prOpe
the same TO be paid for from other lanos Pu