The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-10-18
THEIR TASK. DONE
Work Of the Chippewa Commission
Comes to q Successful Ter.
minatiOn.
Mile Laos Indians at Last Ac.
cept the Terms of the
Treaty.

DRA1NERD, Special Telegram, ISpecial-The
Mile Lacs have ut last accepted tho terms
offered through the Chippewa commission.
1t having been as arduous task as any
branch OF the negotiations Long councils
were held In the woods on Friday.
although cold wind made it
exceedingly uncomfortable. not only for the
white men present at the conference, but,
Judging from the manner In which the In
dians held their blankets, for the red men
also But as the Oldest chief rose at the
opening Of tho mornings council and re-
moved his diIapidsted hat from his scanty
gray locks he remarked that the result
OF the council would probably be propitious,
as the commissioners cou.d observe by look
ing Ut the armament that the clouds had dis
appeared and Judging by the pleasant
weather providence was favoring them He
gave tho commission to understand that the
business could not be closed that day. saw
ing that the time would be devoted
to asking questions and reminding them
that. MS the weather was very nice, no papers
spread out would suffer from rain, 60 he re-
quested that il the commission had a man it
Ge produced that they might see the sise of
their reservation, that 1t might not only
DO witnessed by the audience. but by
one on high who saw all thiuga
A map of all tho reservations was laid on
the table, and the location and size of oil
the reservations in tho state explained. But
when the Mile Lacs reservation was reached
it was discovered that the Indians under.
stood the llae OF land which they have
right to occupy extended three miles further
north on the west shore of tho lake than the
boundary stated in the treaty, and
sUDsTANT1ATE THEIR CLAIM
ny showing that ono OF the treaties provided
that certain number of acres on the res.
ervation should be broken, and that the lanti
actually broken was within the disputed ter
ri,ory, which has. however since been pat
ented bv tho government, and is now occupied
by well cultivated farms This matter was
brought out BY the Old chief, who said he
was Tho cnly living Indian witness of tho
signing of tho treaty, at which time, he said,
ar. Ntce was also p:esent He was told that
the matter could not be adjusted ut once, but
must bo reported to the department.
Tho Mile Iacs have had 20 slight o hold
on their reservation that tho oom-
missioncrs anticipated their repeated inuu,-
rles aH to tho provisions OF the act of con-
gress relative to their continued residence
on this reservation. Ono Indian asked lint
the white Kice" tell them If It. were
really true that the government wished
to purchase tho farming land aud
the pinery. saying the young men had
asked him to use the very best Chippewa he
Knew In stating the question. lie also
wanted to know what tho children born in
The tribe hereafter would do for land, and
dclicatcly intimated that there would be a
good many childlen. MIR. Rice told them
they would receive all tho land needed by
their bands now or ut any future time,
and stated that white man, no matter
II he had dozen children. received from
tho government only 100 acres, while an
Indian, with the same number of progeny
under age, was now offered $50 acres
WHAT THEY NEED.
One of the chiefs declared that they needed
saw mill. blacksmith, shoemakers pby-
stcian and nn ovcrseer The commissioners
replied that the government did not propose
to pull out their teeth aud tell them how to
cat tough meat, but that they would re-
ceive under the act all that
was necessary for their advancement.
THE morning session then adjourned,
after a polite request by the Ind ans that
they be shown specimen of the prowess In
hunting Of DR.. Whiting Of tho commission,
who was rcputed among them to be great
snortsnlan, to which tho doctor jocosely re-
piled that he sent government bullet after
u moose with . long tail. After din
ner tho Indians resumed tho propounding
Gf questions in relation to damages by the
reservoirs, tho cutting OF nay upon the
reservation bv whites. when they might hunt
deer. holding land purchased outside uf the
reservation by those entitled to receive ailot-
Incnts and annuities, oil of which seemed to
,%o In om.ning ams%ered I, s,1%slsfac,orly ,% Us a.
morning it was evident that few were get
ting their heads above the Sea Of doubt in
which up to that time they had beeD i'm
mcrscd, one Of the leading braves in address,
ing The Indians saying that the proposition
inadc would settle nll their past troubles;
sent by the great father, and that they should
not be fools, but
ACCEPT THE OFFER MADE
The speaker then referred to u mixed blood
who waS among them getting names for
some purpose, and said there was not II man.
woman or child among them who would
give him their names for any purpose, add
ing two do not wish to drive him AWAY, let
HIM stay, and whenever he gets ready to
start, let him 70"
This revealed the method of procedure of
the person namcd, who had followed the
commission around from Leech Lake, where
he arrived after the pilugcrs had signed the
agreement for the purpose, it is supposed. OF
obtaining the consent of the Indians that
he be Empowered to act as their ut
'orncy In the collection Of some old
claims At the afternoon council one of the
Indians made quasi apology for ,Le speech
referring to him. made in the morning. and
dlsc!aiming any hostility toward the mixed
blood, but whether the explanation or
apology originated with the Indians or was
ihstigatcd by the gentleman named, did
not appear The last council held
Saturday afternoon brought out persistent
inquiries about the anruities which have
been duo for several years and the probable
time for payment The commissioners tod
them plainly that they would make
no promises, but that efforts would
be made to adjust all old diff
fercnccs The old chief spoke again. suying,
as he took eff his hat. that he did it to show
how bnld he was. and affirming that he and
his fellow Indians understood, then,
thot the government had simply bor-
rowed the money, aud would surely
return it But that he was now
an old man. anu fearful, that he knew every
thing human was uncertain. and he imporeu
the commissioners 70 assist them in obtain
ing from the government the debt Of $;1lG,-
900 which had been
ACKNOWLEDGED AT WASHINGTON
ten years ago to be justly cue, before the
amount became melted in with all the other
money he and two other chiefs had seen in
the great fathers vaults at tho capitol.
At thr point there seemed a lull in
the proceedings. and the Indians were
evidently hesituting about further action,
but chief finally rosc and said In Chippewa.
@Now is the time to act DO not keep the
commission waiting. II any one is op-
posed let him say SO now" In a
speech favoring the negotiations, the
old chief said, "You know very well
that at the time the country was in difficulty
and there was an outbreak among the Sioux.
The Mile I.acs tooA tho right attitude and
offered their services to the govern
ment Of our great father. We wish
the government to know We stand in
the same position now; and that We
covct The friendship OF the whites and the
protection of the great father" As there was
evidently some hesitation about finally clos
ing the matter, Mr. Rice nado u
judiclous speech, in which he re-
fcrrcd to their present situation and
prosperity, aad told them plainly that the
issue was in their hands. and that the great
ather and great council would probably
judge them by their treatment of these
propositions This brought to the front the
head chief of all the bands, u
man OF forty. with marked dignity
of manner and address, who stepped