New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-16
THE PROPOSED SIOUX TREATY.
SPEECHES BY SITTING BULL. GRASS AND OTHER
REFORE SECRETARY Villas

SPEECHES BY SITTING BULL. GRASS AND OTHERS
BEFORE SECRETARY Villas.
Washington, Oct. 15.-The Sioux chiefs, with their
interpreters appeared In the office Of the Assistant
Attorncy-General. After a prayer by Commissioner
Cleveland Secretary Villas assured the Indians that
he glad to see them, and requested them at to
state their objections TO the Sioux Reservation
act. Sitting Bull after shaking hands with the
Secretary, the Commissioners and others said
My friends, do not want to make long speech,
] have but few words TO say. call you my friends
because l of your people. belong to the
Government of the United States. AS we have our
own views of this law, wish to speak to you
as man to man. hope everything will be done in
a quiet manner This is all have to say.'
John Grass the next speaker. Ic said:
"All my friends know that never intended to object
to the new law as a whole Some Of the clauses in
1t dspleascd me, and told my friends what they
were. The first thing I want to mention is the
treaty Of 1868, and ask you to promptly meet the
obligations Of that treaty. Pay us whatever right
fully belongs to And then the Black Hills treaty
Of 1876. Why is 1t that not paid what is
due us under these treatiesl What is lacking I
said at Lower Brulc that should have s., 900, 900
I'm one lump for our lands, but / think We
should have more. We want 81 25 per acre, just
what the Government sells Its lands for We arc In
no hurry to dispose of our lands BY the treaty of
1865 you promised schools and teachers for twenty
years and these twenty years have gone by and yet
We have had schools only within the last ten years.
We want these schools continued ten years longer
under that treaty.
He asked that all the lands of the reserv alton be
classed as grazing lands thus enabling those entitled
to 100 TO get $40 acres. t-t -.'7f
Mad Bear, from the Standing Rock Agency. spoke
OF the failure OF the keep the treaties
OF 1868 and 1876, and asked how they could be
expected to enter into still other agreements when
tho nlJo had
Charger, from the Cheyenne River Agency, COM
planed that the Government never gave the Indians
a voice in the details of thor treaties, but fixed
everything to suit themselves, and then they asked
the Indians to agree
Speeches were also made by White Swan, Little
Wounded Little Chief, Standing Elk Fast Thunder.
all OF Pine Ridge Swift Bird and Little No Heart.
OF the Cheyenne Agency; Swift Bear, Of Rosebud
Big Name, of Lower Brulc, and Chief Gall. White
Ghost and Drifting Goose, both OF Crow Creek. an
nounced their opposition TO the bill. and stated that
measures had been adopted to fifghten the Indians
into signing
After the Indians finished speaking Secretary
Villas arose and said that all the speeches had been
faithfully written down, and would be laid befor,
the President Whatever decision was reached would
le announced TO them Wednesday morning.
The Rev Mr. Cleveland, later. spoke of the stare
rcnts of White Ghost and Drifting Goose as hypcrbohc
and said that nothing of the KIND had ever taken
place. Agent Anderson confirmed Mr. Clcveiahu ;
denial