The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-29
The War Department Refuses tc
Drive the M%arauding Crees
Back.
Destroyers OF Montana Game and
Terriers of Women and
Children.
The dag listing End OF Two Years Of Effort
with the Departments Of state
and War.

VI ~ N NV ampEOU6plO phhw Sh0 psSA
along the northern boundary Of the state
will now take the law in their own hands
and drive the marauding band Of Crees
back into Canada. They have been q con-
slant source of annoyance and a menace TO
the people living in sparsely settled sections
of the state. In many instances men have
been compelled to remain at homo to give
protection to the women and children.
This 10 not their only ~offense; complaints
have been numerous for several years about
the wsnton destruction OF game by the
Crees, and especially now when the season
ia open. Gov. Toole has repeatedly called
tie attention of the state department. to
the complaints made by the citizens. The
Privy council of Canada, after much cor
r~espondence, suggested to the American
governments that probably the Indians
would leave the United States il they were
escorted to the northern border several
times. This correspondence took place last
winter. Ever since then the complaints
have been coming in and nothing has been
done by the United States authorities to
rid the settlers of the pest.
AS a last resort Gov. Toole wrote to the
secretary Of war on Sept. l. saying: II
have the honor to transmit for your con-
'sideration the enclosed correspondence re-
latinR to certain rowing bands of Cree In
dams now in this state. We have exhausted
every means at our command to rid this
state of these Indians, and now appeal to
the United states through the war depart
ment for relief. The Canadian authorities
have expressed the belief that II
these Indians were escorted a time
or two to the northwest border they would
discontinue their incursions to this state.
! have the honor, therefore, to ask that the
war department. investigate the status of
these Indians, and if found to be British
subjects, that they be confined to their re-
spective reservations. and that the proper
authorities be requested to keep them in
their own jurisdiction. The character Of
these Indians and their continued vista
tions to this country, to the annoyance and
terror of our citizens, is set forth in ons of
the enclosures addressed to the Hon.
James G.. Blaine, late secretary of state.
Hoping that you may find it proper and ex-
peditnt to cause prompt investigation and
action to be had. l have the honor to be,
ETC."
The reply to this is from l.. A. Grant.
acting secretary of war. He says: II have
the honor to acknowledge the receipt of
you letter of the lat instant transmitting
copies of correspondence addressed to You
by certain citizens of the state of Mon
tana relative to the refugee band of Cree
Indians from Canada, who are annoying
citizens of the state, and asking that you
request the war department to Investigate
the matter n cause the Indians to be re-
moved across the border. In reply you are
respectfully advised that a similar com-
plant was presented to the department. on
Jan. rs last by the honorable secretary Of
state. who enclosed q letter from the United
States district attorney of Montana, dated
Jan. 10 last, on the subject. The complaint
WAS carefully investigated by the oom-
handing general of the Departments of
Dakota. and resulted in showing that such
of the Cree Indians as are now within the
United States territory are peaceable, and
u~sefully employed, and that they would BIO
greatly missed in the industries of the
country were they removed.
For your information the report Of the
,pfficer in the premises is quoted az follows:
Inquiry from all the posts in this depart
ment on the northern frontier fails to es-
kablish that there has been any recent in
~scursion of Gree Indians from Canada.
Since 1886 there have been In our territory
fabout 200 Cree indians, who were political
F%irefugees, who took part in the Riel rebel
aalion. They have been permitted to remain
sgAnd have been mp to 1887 fed and clothed
,othrough the intervention of the army.
accessions to these Indians from
,oDanada were first discovered they have been
skxpelled, but it has been difficult to distin-
iguish the political refugees from those who
aave come to our territory from other
causes. In one instance when a party of
Crees were forced across the line numbers
of them returned saying they were threat
ened with arrest in Canada as being i'm pli-
Gated in the Riel rebellion. At the present
time the post commanders to whom this
correspondence has been referred report
that the Cree Indians. men and women,
who are in Montana and North Dakota are
employed along the line by the citizens in
wood chopping and laundry and other
work; that they were useful and we'll oon-
Quoted and would be greatly missed in the
industries Of the country were they now
removed. This information comes from
citizens"
f. two years I have been in CORE
~aondence with the state and war depart
fnents in relation to these Indians" said
Gov. Toole yesterday, 'and this is the dis
gushing end of it all. l think such gentle
men as Hon. George o. Eaton. Hon.. James
grove and the Rod and Gun club. of Kalis-
pell, and many others who have lodged
complaints with me in this matter, will be
quite surprised to hear that these Indians
would be grently missed in the industries
of the country were they removed The
shDl ioadsCu u IcCClNcu
yesterday from the Kalispell Rod and Gun
club, saying that a band Of Crees from
Canada were Strengthening game in the
Flathead valley. and that during the past
year over u thousand deer had been killed
by the Indians. w. ID. Baldwin. the secre-
tary of the club, says that the Flathead
valley is perhaps better stocked with this
kim of game than any other part of the
state, and that some measures should be
taken at once to keep the Indians out OF
the state, or else the deer will soon share
the fate of the buffalo.
1t ID said that the Crees, when game can
not be had, visit the cattle herds for meat.
Gov. DOLE has been u~ntiring in his efforts
to have the Indians taken over the line, but
it seems that the COVE nment is deaf TO the
appeals made by the governor. The affair
has reached such a stage that the settlers.
sportsmen and cattle;nen may have 20 deal
with it themselves. They have been very
patient.
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