St. Paul daily globe., 1889-07-30
What the Senate Committee Saw
at Sitka and Other Points.

OMAHA. July 29.-The correspondent
of the Bee at Juneau. A 'aska, sends the
following, under date OF July %: ''The
Indian affairs, arrived here on Sunday
afternoon. They are on their return to
Port Townsend, whence they will go at
once to Portland, thence to the Flat
head Indian reservation In Montana,
and thence East. At New Metlakat, sit
uated at Port Chester, Alaska, the COM
mittee commenced their first inquiry
into the charge of Mr.. Duncan,
the English missionary, who has
been among this tribe for the past thirty
account of his very liberal religious
teachings he incurred the displeasure
of the English church, under whose con-
troll he had been, and, in order to enjoy
more religious freedom, moved his In
dians into United States territory a few
years ago. The committee was disap-
pointed at finding Mr.. Duncan away,
but they made thorough investigation
into the condition of the Indians, and
found them living in an apparent state
of entire cOntentment and engaged in
almost all the pursuits Of the
whites. This particular grievance is
their anxiety to possess lands in sever
atty or to have certain parcels set aside
for them, that they may cultivate and
hold by individual right, and they mod
eStly ask that the whole of Graviur
island be given to their tribe. The
committee found the state of
MORALS OF THE INDIAN WOMEN
at New Metlakat far above the average
of Indian women of this territory. At
Sitka the committee visited the habita-
tionS of the Indians, and learned from
personal intercourse of their habits and
needs. At this place, as well as at the
different points visited so far, they
have failed to learn Of single
case where an Indian woman or girl
has been forcibly taken from her parents
and made to submit to the brute passion
of hen. They have, however, learned
that the companionship and virtue of
the women is matter of dollars and
cents and not difficult to negotiate for.
On the night of the arrival of the Al
batross a portion of the committee were
brought ashore, under the guidance of
Col. Canaday, at a late hour, and in the
rudely constructed dance houses saw
the dusky maldens dancing and drink
ing with their white partners. Inquiry
into the titles of real estate disclosed
UliO 1QCt Ouob III eONh VI
1000 inhabitants not foot of
land is owned in fee-simple, but
that buildings and improvements pass
from one to another by simply bill of
sale, and this practice is universally re-
garded as to every respects complete
and perfect title. A meeting was held
in the town hall this morning. 1t
WAS PACKED WITH INDIANS,
and some individual complaints were
made as to the bad treatment received
by the male members of the tribe from
the white men, but they disclosed no
outrages upon the women by force
or intimidation. At a public meet
ing of the citizens. no cOncen-
trated OF defined ideas were expressed
upon which all seemed to agree as to
their needs, but the extension of the
homestead laws to the territory was
favored, also that territorial organiza-
tion he permitted and that some means
be used by which the title to lands, and
especially to town property, be al
ranged. Later in the day the commit
tee listened to the arguments of COM
mittee of citizens, urging the extension
of the land laws into their territory,
and the question of territorial govern