Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-11-15
THE HISTORY OF A CRIME.
How an Attempt TO "Civilize- Mich
igan Indians was Thuarted.

/ have frequently observed that
the DEsERET EVENING News has :
kind side for the Indians and Il has
occ lrred to me that my persousI
knowledge Of one OF our reservations
and the treatment the Indians r.
ceived thereon might be Of interest.
In 1855 the United States ratified
treaty with the Saginaw, Swan
Creek and Black river bands OF
Chippewa Indians" Of Michigan.
By terms Of the treaty those Indian
ceded to the United States all lands
then held 10y them and all unpaid
annuities under a former treaty
rhe lands thus ceded to the Uniten
States were at that time very
valuable and are today covered with
city, town, village and farm in the
richest part Of the State. In return
for these lands and unpaid annuities
the Indians received several tracts
Of land 50 far removed from what
passed for civilization" that IL was
thought the Indians would never
again come in the way Of the whites.
In addition TO this land the Indians
Of those bands only, the treaty said.
were to receive, for various USES,
sundry sums Of money amounting
70 over 900, OO0and Sl3T, GOO was To
be paid In coin as annuities. This
money was paid out TO or for, chiefly
for" these Indians between 1855
and 1855. Ia lS55-67 the Indians
gathered on the Isabella reservation.
the largest tract OF the lands alluded
to above, to the number If 1900. One
u tue first freaks Of the agent III
charge was TO allow men ami
women, chiefly women. who had
for years been supposed 10 be white.
and who belonged 20 some Of the
old aristOcnltic families Of Detroit
and Saginaw, to prove themselves
members Of those Chippewa bands
by decent and to claim and receive
Innuities and 10 select and obtain
lands on the reservation. Probably
ne Agent did it ''fOr a considera-
uJn.D
government was very much in
terested in the Isabella reservation.
for IL was thought plan had been
idOpted that would result in a
sneedy civilization OF the Indians.
Bythe terms OF the treaty the indians
were to select lands as follows.
Each head Of family, husband or
widow, so acres; each orphan family
Of two or more, so; each single
orphan under age, 80; each single
person Of age, 40.
The selections rs made were TO IN.
reported by the agent to the Secre-
tary OF the Interior aud recorded.
To the selector certificate issued
that guaranteed the land 10 the In
Ian or heirs for ever aud neither
land nor timber could be alienated
They could cut and sell their own
timber, but could not dispose Of il
wholesale standing. The govern
nent furnished teams, agricultural
implements and seed; built smithy,
carpenter shop, saw mill, grist mill,
tSur schoolhOuses, three or four
churches anu council house; fur
nished mechanics, miller. teachers
and superintendent The agent was
Methodist priest, the teachers were
Methodisis, the mechanics were
Methodists and the agent made his
7rOther-in-iaw reservation sstrader.,,
The Indians built snug log houses.
many Of them, and cleared
little farms. They raised wheat,
buckwheat potatoes and other
vegetables. They felt that they had
located TO stay and were full of
hope. But the trader eagerly trusted
them to the amount Of their annu-
tiles and when the money came his
oils we're paid first and generally
the Indians got little or nothing.
He charged them s. a pint for DEATH !
shot wbiskey and five prices fer
everything they bought. For n |
time the mill ground their grain.
but soon the miller managed TO be |
away when needed, the grain was
not ground and the Indians were
forced to buy "feed" from the trader.
They saw 1t was useless to raise
grain and quit. Whites worked in
among them and swijled them
out OF their teams and gradually
many Of them fell back into their
old ways Of living. The good in
tention Of the government was for
gotten, the agent, teachers and
other employees simply drew salaries
and let the Indians go as they
pleased. In twenty-five years only
two Indians learned to write and
six TO read in those government
schools.
When the boom came there was
a boom in pine lands. Then Sa-
Sinaw lumbermeu became anxious
TO get hold Of the Isabella Reserva-
ton. Church members 'slaid I'M,
with the Agent to get 1t. The In
dams We're taught that the reason
they did not get rich 'slike white
man" was because the government
treated him ''like child.1 The In
dians were induced to petition gov
eminent to get their land in fee
simple so that they could u-e it like
white man. The whites sent affi-
isvits setting forth that they knew
the Indians to he educated
Christians capable Of taking care
Of their property.
The government yielded. In 1854
the treaty was amended so rs to |
give the Indians their land in zee,
but aid they should first be classi-
fed into those "competent' and
those "not 50 competent, The
frst should get their patents with
put restriction. The second could
not ALLEVIATE their property. The
could have been
made in n week, but 1t
was not made for several yeans.
Why? Because the white Chris
tan (?l lumbermen were not ready.
They sent agents among the In
iians and an agreement was signed
tbs Indians bound them
selves 10 sell 10 these whites all the
and they had selected or might {
select as well as the price. They !
Dound themselves not TO chop over |
.hree acres a year for making farms /
md not 10 remove n log OF burn a [
brush pile without the consent Of
he whites who were 90 miles away |
Ind no road between but the trail.
Before the classification was made
hose whites had become the osten-
lille owners Of the reservation. :
Then the Indians were classified
md out of LOO who were to re-
GIVE patents 1852 were ''compe-
ent'' and - "not 50 competent"
Then the list OF selections Of land, /
vas made out aud sent 10 Washing e
on. The Saginaw whites got a =
opy Of il although the government q
equired that 1t should be kept Sec Il
ct. A white man on the reserva- =
Ion, knowing what the Saginaw S
len had done, sent to Washington
nd bribed somebody TO give