Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-26
A GENERAL COUNCIL HELD.
Tho Indians Meet and Invite the
Commission.
AeReAT MANY QUESTIONS ASKED
The Members Kept Busy I'm Defining
the Various Clauses OF the Bill
Moaning OF Various
Sections Explained.
Progress OF the Work Mt Pine Ridge.

Progress OF the Work ut Pine Ridge.
PINE RIDGE AGENCY, Dalg., (via Rush
vile, Neb.,) June 25.-fSpecial Telegram to
TIE BEE. After counciling among them
selves for the past three days the Indians had
general council in the afternoon, to which
they invited the commission. American
Horse, No Flesh, High Wolf, and Swords,
captain of police, were the principal speak
ers. American Horse opened the council by
a number of questions to the commission. in
which he SAID: "My friends, / don't under
stand somo things in this bill. wish you TO
tell us in plain words about them, so we can
understand how long will the s3,000,0OO de-
posted to our credit bear interest before the
principal is to be distributedl"
"It is to remain fifty years, and the
bill provides that in addition TO the 10
per cent the Great Father may spend 10 per
cent Of the principal to purchase goods for
the Indians after time. This is to be spent
In buying teams, implements and things to
allow you to 20 on farming"
"Will every one have equal rights, or will
there be any specified amount for each to re-
ceivel'
"rhe entire amount will be divided by the
whole people in fifty years"
AlHT All OuF luUuS arc SuTNcytu UHu
each Indian has taken his land in severalty,
will the balance belong to us in common or
will other Indians own the surplusn
"The surplus will be owned by all Indians
on the reservation in common as it is now
owned by YOU herc.h
az ask the question for the reason that
there are two classes of Santees and they
may be brought in here and given our land
We owe them nothing and they have no
right here. They have sold their land and
n ~
titled to payP
1.-THE Santees have no right to your land,
but they have share in the permanent fund.
They must take their allotment in Nebraska
in their present reservation
American Horse then repeated that the
Santees had no rights here, but as they had
traded their land and become poor the Great
Father had taken pity on them. He then
asked the commission to strongly recon-
mend that their educated children and
half breeds be given the places on the
agency which draw salary, and that any
one Incorporated in the tribe be allowed to
trade ana not let the rich men come here and
rob u.s. "The traders and others furnish
everything and we have no market, so we
sometimes grow discouraged. When we
take our land in severalty we can raise
everything to supply the agency. viii the
government give us market to sell our
goodsF'
He was informed that the bill pledged in
the allotment law to assist in finding
reason why the grain and beef should not be
raised here and sold to the government.
Several complaints were then made about
purchasing hay from white men instead of
Indians, and the inferior beef received The
annuites and the bad condition of the clothes
sent them were so put together that it made
it almost impossible to wear them. ''rhe
farmers sent here do not know their duties,
seen plow, and if we complain
they ill-treat us. We want them
taken away and the places given to our prac-
tical halfbreed farmer, who can teach us
right and will start us on the
road to prosperity, but there are
other chiefs above me, and / want
them to sign the first, so 1 will not belittle
them by signing before them"
The commission promised to recommend
the changes asked fer. The speeches of
High Wolf and Sword were made in Indian
and were able and logical from an Indian
standpoint. Afraid OF Bear addressed the
commission at length, saying there was
one road to prosperity and another to
misery. He favored the BILL
which was the prosperous road,
but was afraid it might turn into the road to
misery II the promises now made were like
those of the past, particularly of 1875.
General Crook-lt was no bill by congress,
but simply an agreement, in which could be
Incorporated things the signers could not
understand But now we come with a
bill that all you people can read. l hvea
been with the Indians all my life, and no one
knows better than the wrongs they ha G
had to suffer, and do not blame you for your
distrust in the past But this bill you can all
read and fully understand.
After the council adjourned n large mum
bcr went TO the agents office and signed the
BILL il now having over five hundred sigma
lures and they are being slowly, but steadily
added.
The Kaleidoscope change in the Indian ma
ture was fully illustrated to-day. Two days
ago Young Mau "A fraid-of- His Horses was
IN full sympathy with the bill. To-day he
states emphatcally that he will not
sign. Another change may come
as soon. big Omaha dance will occur thi
evening, as the commission is still issulu &
extra rations, which, if not DONE it would be
impossible to retain them at the agency.