Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-04-17
RANGEvILLE. IDAHO.
Grazing Upon Indian Lands.

0SS ~ 1OCO; oocNitiOi Wdo
invited to the perplexing stat
us Of the question of cattle
grazing upon Indian reserva-
tons existing under the opin-
ion of the Acknowledgement Of
July 81, 1885, wherein it is
held that Indians are not le-
gally capable of leasing their
reservation lands for grazing
purposes, and that neither the
Secretary of the Interior nor
the President has authority to
approve such leases except
tl.N be authorized to do so by
special provisions of law. The
urgant necessity for some leg
islation by Congress authoriz-
izg the grazing of Indian lands
under proper restrictions was
thoroughly emphasized in that
report, and also in each sue
ceeding annual report of this
office ; but so far, Congress
has not seen fit to enact the
necessary legislation.
In order to overcome in
measure this difficulty, and to
enable the Indians to receive
some benefit from the sponta-
neous products of their lands,
the Department has authorized
several tribes to take a limited
number of cattle to herd and
Craze upon the reservations at
a stipulated price to be paid by
the owners of the cattle to the
United States Indian agent for
the benefit of the tribe.
The agreement submitted to
and accepted by the Indians,
and now in force upon several
reservations, is substantially as
follows:
l The general question of
permitting cattle-grazing upon
the unoccupied lands of the
reservation to be submitted to
the Indians for their consent
or rejection.
2 In the event of their con-
sent, the agent to be authoriz-
ed to permit limited number
of cattle to be grazed on the
reservation conditionally, as
follows:
a That such a permit be
given only to actual settlers
residing in the neighborhood
OF the reservation, and for
their own cattle.
b That a fair and just com
pensation shall be paid to the
agent by the owners of the
cattle for the use and benefit
of the Indians.
6 That all moneys received
for grazing shall be deposited
by the agent in the Treasury
of the United States, in ac-
cordance with the act of
March 8, 1883 (22 Stat, 500,
and thereafter to be used for
the benefit of the respective
tribes, as provided in the act
of March 2, 1887 ga Stat,
463).
d That no exclusive privi-
lege of grazing lands be grant
ed on the reservation, nor any
act done looking to a lease or
agreement for a lease of any
particular portion of said
lands,
e That all permits shall be
for the grazing season only,
and subject to revocation at
any time by the Department.
That no responsibility for
the cattle shall in any way at
tach to the United States or
any of its agents, nor shall any
permit be given which shall
retard or interfere with the ag-
ricultural or other industrial
pursuits of the Indians, indi-
vidnally or collectively, nor
shall the stock belonging to
the Indians be deprived of am
pie pasturage. Neither shall
the owners Of cattle or sheen
erect any improvements what
soever on the reservation, nor
use the lands for any other
purpose than for the grazing of
their own stock, under penalty
of the immediate revocation of
the permit. !
q That subject to the above