The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-08-17
TIE Fow.wow ENDS.
Tie Standing Roek Indians Absolutely Refuse u
SIsn the Treaty.


News from Standing Rock Agency says the
council with the Indians upon the treaty for
opening the Sioux reservation hns broken up
and adjourned.
Each Of the commissioners. in well consi,l
cred aud earnest addresses. warned the lnii-
nus Of the had results likely to occur in the
case of their refusal to accept the offer of the
government Before thu meeting ofthc coun-
I'll the commissioners knew that it had lnsn
In the open council John Grass
reiterated the determination of the
ln'lians 10 refuse to sign either paper. They
started to leave. wlcG Agent Mclaughlin
arose and ordered them to remain. which
they did. The commissioners finally nd
journrd the council and told the In,linns to
go home aud attend To thrir crops
to other nGcnrir~; when the Standing Rock
people wcr" wanted again notice would I've
given them. Then they dispersed quietly
aud set ont for their homes Every possible
argument has l!rcu n;,,ic To induce the In
,lians To consent. II is certain that they
tho arrival of the commissioners tn reject tho
Offer Reports from the lower agencies are
very conflicting. The next agency visited
will hc I liz Cheyenne River.
Another ,Iisla,rl, says: The lnnguage Of
Chairman Pratt to thu naughty chiefs of the
tribes intensified the opposition of the ln-
dians and instead nr making II break in
the ranks. suli,liird the "ll"nsitinn AMI CO.
mcnt~l tho friendship of the factinns. The
matter was virtually settled when John
Grass arose in rul.rIrn,. aud informed
tho commission that the lmiians would
sign neither Palmrs. and that they would
now return to their farms regardless of
what tho commissioners might say. AZ
soon rs Grass closed The ,ii"l" was broken
and tn" Indians "taticI f"r home. All the
efforts "ft'liaiIman Pratt 4" control the lIi-
di;lns were futilr. hut Agent Mclaughlin sue
r'rl''l in restoring: quiet and have the con-
ference adjourn with u s"imhlanrr Of order.
u was IL most nmiliatin:r scene. Tho rep.
rrsrnlnlvrs at tl" government Of tho United
states sent t"rnnirr with the lu'lans w"r"
lri' standing helpless and hopeless while tho
Indians VIII" had repeatedly rendered their
d"'is"n not To sign left III" conference with
contempt depicted upon sirir count cniliirrs
When jain Gross. after his brief speech.
called fur those to sign No" not an Indian
nrusr. When he called Tor those who sign
Yes. every mnn remained moti"nlrss IN
VIII" would sign neither paper tn arise. every
man i,,s" Will, cheers and yrlls.
ii. Dunbar. issue clerk at tho Rosebud
agency, Oak. and !. a. Ncl,zcr chief of Jn,-
lice, say that they have asked the opinions
"fov"r Il Thousand lmlians during the past
month with regard tn h" opening If their
reservation. and not onr of them WIS in f;,-
vorofii. Las, week tllc Indians at Rosebud
had n hiw council composed nfovrr sixty
chiefs aud head men. in which all the agencies
were represented, aud they unanimously
pledged themselves not tn sign and to ,lsr nil
their Influence to prevent other Indians from
,luin. 50.
Thrfailur"of I'll" Sioux commission u secure
Ii" consent uf tho lnsliHns In nnvOft he agree
y Yer tt,t I'm int,
rnrtmrnt Officials. for Secretary Villas has
taken Il greater interest in I he success of tho
proposed opening al the reservation than in
anything rl>r coming under his admins
traium. II" selected his commission
with u Slnrial rct''rrln" to their ability
7" deal with iii" Indians, hut such
was Ills anxiety Ia secure an army officer
that after tr""k and Rugrr declined To serve
he selected Capt. Pratt uf the Carlisle school.
for the place. u seems to have been an I'M
inrtnu;lt" selection, and oiIir"rS oft l,"intcror
depart m"ni ;ll" inclined tn placrupnn Pratt
shoulders TIL" larger sllar" of the responsible.
iiN for the present attitude of the Indians.
"Prtt plunged right in tl,rrr aud attempted
to hnll'loz" I'll" Indians. said one angry
official ami Ii" has not succeeded. liz
is u martinez aud can do nothing
except in IL brutal way. He was captain
in Il negro regiment before Ii. went to the
school and could knork his men around as
Ii" saw lit. Then he got control of a large
number of Indian children at Carlisle, and
there hr could lullnzc aud boss things. lie
used To treat people in this department.
much the sam" until h" go, {: s,.thnrk II willie
ago. Now he has gone at this work Of deli
cate diplomacy Ikea hullina china shop, nn,l
of course. he'll fail
This opinion of Pratt exceeds to srvcral
other I"Hrrninrnt departments that have
dealings witt, him. THE other members ct
The commission could. it is Thought. secure
the consent OF the Indians if it were not for
Pratt.