Bismarck weekly tribune., 1889-06-14
"A Pow-wow With the Indians.

commissioners held another council with
the Indians yesterday afternoon. Yellow
Hair, an Ogallala chief, claims the Indians
did not understand whether the money
paid under the provisions of the act for
schools came out OF the price of their land:
that the treaty OF 1868 promised them
schools for thirty years; that they were
entitled to schools for nine years longer
under that treaty. The commissioners ex-
planned that the schools continued under
the provisions Of the old treaty. That
the expense was not charged against
the money received from the sale of
lands. Swift Bear, the head chief, said:
''Iwish Mr.. Jordan to speak for the white
tribe" Charles p. Jordan, Indian trader
at this agency, who IS related by marriage
to Red Cloud, then spoke to the Indians,
giving reasons why they ought to accept
the act OF congress, urging every one to do
as ne thought right. Hollow Horn Bear
then spoke and said: II heard you had
come here several days ago. Inow see you
and | am gladyou are all good looking men.
greet you as friends as / expect you to
consider me if should 60 to see you at
your homes. have thoughtof this matter
since you first spoke to us, and while I
didn't understand all about it, / believe the
government means to do right with us.
General Crook knows all about it., and /
want him to tell us. We all know him and
will listen to his words" General Crook
then said: MY friends, L want to say q
few words. The president sent us here to
speak to the Indians of this agency. He
don't want to have all the Sioux Indians
come here that their crops will suffer,
We shall 60 to the different agencies. We
are here to explain everything. You can
either sign or not, as you see> best. We
have no interest except so far as we all de-
sire the good of the Indians. If you do
not accept it, you must bear the cOnse-
quences. Don't come to me complaining
about it. l heard it said had paid Louis
Richard to support the bill. You know
that you selected him yourselves as well as
the interpreter. You sent him, and
the commissioners appointed him. (
was glad you settled on him
because he was once soldier
with me and he was good friend Of the
Indians. He wants the bill signed because
| it will keep him and his children
when he is dead. In the same way it will
,eep you and your children. When / left
you eleven years ago thought by this time
you would be much farther advanced than
you are now. I find that you are satisfied
to loaf and do nothing and let the govern
ment feed you. Then you were brave men,
when you were asked to decide anything
you did it at once. said yes or no. Now you
are afraid to do anything. You keep wanting
more time. You are not brave men now,
but squaws, and the government will have
to send dolls and rattles to amuse you. The
government cannot always feed you. You
must sometime become self supporting.
Beause am your friend is the reason / say
this. Iwant you to become like white men
and hold your land in severaltv. The gov
ernment is very liberal and this bill does
more for you than it ever did for the white
man. It will pay you $1.25 per
acre for your good land and so cents fol
your bad land, which is so poor that a
j lgrasshopper can't live on it. It gives you