Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-08-10

The correspondent OF the Omaha Bee
at Juneau, Alaska, sends the following,
under date Of July %: The Albatross,
with the senate committee on Indian af.
fairs, arrived here on Sunday afternoon.
They are on their return to Port Town
send, whence they will 60 at once to
Portland, thence TO the Flathead Indian
reservation in Montana, and thence east.
At New Metlakat, situated at Port Ches-
ter, Alaska, the committee commenced
their first inquiry INTO the charge of Mr..
Duncan, the English missionary, who
h9s been among this tribe for the past
ttlrty years. They number about i,2O0.
On account Of his very liberal religious
teachings he incurred the displeasure of
the English church, under whose control
he had been. and, in order to enjoy more
religious freedom, moved his Indians into
United States territory a few years ago.
The committee was disappointed at find
ing Mr.. Duncan away, but they made a
thorough investigation into the condition
Of the Indians, and found them living in
al apparent state Of entire Contentment
ulu OLkdGCu III ulIlOst oil JIG PURSUITS VI
the whites. This particular grievance is
their anxiety TO possess lands in severaity
or to have certain parcels set aside for
them, that they may cultivate and hold
by individual right, and they modestly
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-
tons 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 q single case where az
Indian woman or girl has been forcibly
taken from her parents and made to
submit to the brute passion of men.
They have, however, learned that the
com~panionship and virtue of the women
is a matter of dollars and cents and not
difficult 10 negotiate for. On the night
Of the arrival of the Albatross a portion
CT the committee were brought ashore,
under the guidance OF Colonel Canady,
st a late hour, and in the rudely con
struCted dance houses saw the dusky
maidens dancing and drinking with their
white partners. Inquiry into the titles
Of real estate disclosed the fact that In
this town Of 1000 inhabitants not a foot
Of land is owned in fee-simple, but tina
| buildings and improvements pass from
one to another by simply a bill of sale,
and this practice is universally regarded
as 10 every respects a complete and per
feet title. a meeting was held IN the
town hall this morning. 1t
WAS PACKED WITH INDIANS,
and some individual complaints were
made as 10 the bad treatment received By
the male members of the tribe from the
white men, but they disclosed no cut
RACES upon the women by force or intim
idation. AT a public meeting Of the citi
zens, no concentrated or defined ideas
were expressed upon which all seemed K
agree as to their needs, but the extension
of the homestead laws TO the territory
was favored, also that territorial organl
zation be permitted and that some mean
be used by which the title to lands, ant
especially to town property, be arranged
Later in the day the committee listene,
to the arguments Of a committee of citi
zens, urging the extension Of the lane
laws into their territory, and the question
Of territorial government was discusse,
and urged as much needed.