Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1889-10-18
More About tho Mile Laos
Treaty. .5# $sS.#

island, where it is supposed Father
Hennepin was kept asa prisoner by
the Sioux Indians III the summer OF
l6SO;sand in sight OF a rock island to the
east, known by. the Indians as Spirit
Island, where It is said they never go.
The boat returned to the south end OF
the lake Sunday night for the purpose
of bringing up The chiefs on Monday
But the fierce wind that commenced to
blow early in themorning and continued
all day, made it impossible for them to
come by water, SO nearly all came UP on
foot, arriving at Jabez On Tuesday.
After about two hundred had arrived,
the weather being fair, it was decided
to hold the meeting in the woods south
Of Mr.. Jabez's house. Atthe first NEE T.
ing Mr.. Rice fully explained to then,
the object of their visit; after which the
present law of congress under which
they were acting, was read and OK.
planned to them, which was quite a
tedious task, as it is very long, and it's
meaning hard to be understood, even
by an astute lawyer, to say nothing OF
the untutored red man. When through,
it being late in tho day, Mr.. Rice asked
them to consider the proposition made
to them thoroughly. and report the re-
suit of their ,delibera,lon as soon as they
made up their minds as to what they
would do about accepting the PROPOSE
ton that their Great Father had made
them. The indians said they would be
glad to meet the Commissioners again,
the next day, as they should want to
ask them some questions, so the council
WAS adjourned to meet on the following
day. Meetings were held each day,
until they arrived at the conclusion to
sign the treaty, which they did on
Saturday. the 5lh inst. Mr.. Rice stated
to them that the principal wealth Of the
indians of Minnesota lay in their pine
lands, that much the greater portion of
them were included In the Red Lake
observation, that If all could share
equally in the proceeds of the sale of
the lands not needed by them for
agricultural purposes, they would all
have enough to make them we'll of,
providing they were saving and indus
trious; that they first went to see the
Red Lake Indians: they ut first thought
that it was unjust to ask them to share
with the balance of the Indians in the
state, who had but little valuable land
compared to what was on their reserva-
! ton; bnt when reminded Of the fact
that at recent date the Chippewas as a
nation had obtained this country from
the Sioux Indians by conquest, that as
all had assisted in wrestling it from the
Sioux, all should share equally in the
benefits to be derived from it. seeing
that it was but fair to do so they readily
consented to the equal division OF the
proceeds Of the sale of all the lands in
the state, rs provided for in this law.
On learning that they could remain and
take their lands III severalty on the
Mile Laos Reservation and Share
equally with the balance of the Indians
ofthe state, they were not long in max
ing up their minds that they had best
TALL In line and accept the proposition
offered them, and trust to luck to get
this law amended, as it must be, in
order that the present generation shall
get fair share Of the benefits derived
from the sale of their pine lands.
Although Wa-wa we comig, who is
comparatively a young man, being
thirty years Of age. is acknowledged to
be the head chief at Mile Laos, he did
bnt little of the speaking for the Indi-
ans. They chose Chief My-in-gonce,
who is probably their best orator, to
speak for them. They had many ques.
| tiohs 70 ask the Commission and several
requests and demands to make. After
stating that they would accept the
proposition made to them and take
their lands in severalty at Mile Laos,
they asked to see map of their reser-
walton. Mr.. Rice produced it and ex-
hibited it to them. AS he had it marked
IF on the map, it embraced only about
three congressional township Of land,
bordering on the south shore of the
lake. Most of them had the impression
that it was much larger than the map
showed it to be. The oldest chief of the
Mile Laos Indians, Shaw-bosh- kung,
stated to the commissioners, that he
was the only man nov living who was
at Washington when the treaty was
made fixing the limits OF the reserva-
ton. He said that the. small river that
emptied into the lake at it's extreme
northwest point, was to be its nortl,
boundary GA the west side and 10 ex-
tend from there round the south shore
Of the lake to point exactly east of the
starring point, the same to extend back
from the lake uniform distance Of six
miles. 10 make it look plausible, he
mentioned the fact that in that Treaty
the government agreed to break for
them on their reservation seventy acres
of land, which land they cleared and
broke just south. Of the river that he
mentioned as the north boundary on
the west bank of the lake. Mr.. Rice
then stated that the reservation was
made before the lands were surveyed,
and that when the government survey
was made it was likely cut down to con-
form to the government lines, and that
the balance Of the reservation Ii:
there Was morc) had been sold to the
white people and eonld not now be 80,
back. They accepted the situation but
apparently with not much grace, as they
realized the fact that so small tract as
they now seem to. have will not allow
ali Of them to get full allotments of land
on the reservation, 50 some mus, 20
without any Or al will have to be cut
down some. AIR. Rice told them that
the amount of land that they could get
would be first and then the
i; number that wanted to take their aIlot
ments there; and il. the lands ran short,
}, all would have to be cut down, but4eacl
!. would get his equal share. But any
lwho choosed, could take allotments o
land on the White Earth Reservation
or could take any lands in the Unite
States that conh be taken under the
homestead law, and draw their annui
ties of money the same as if they tool
! their lands on this reservation if :he,
, were enrolled with the Mile Lac: