Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1893-01-27
MILE Laos INDIANS
A Letter From d. s. Hall Relative to
an Article Published in the
s.sss~ Transcript.
DETROIT, Mimi. Jan. 10, 1898.

Transcript. -
DETROIT, Minn.Jan. 19, 1898. :
EDITOR TRANSCRIPT. ~
Sir: / was this day, by Mr.. Fuller,
shown your paper which contained
some observations relative to trip
recently made by Major Ruffee and
myself to visit the Mile Lacs Indians
to, induce them to go to White Earth,
or there leading men to go even to
Washington,if If necessary, to convince
them how important and what a
benefit to themselves such a change
would be. Your correspondent, or
his Informant, informs the readers of
your paper that the Indians Were on
a big drunk having got liquor from
Aitkin. That Major Ruffec and
myself threatened them with soldiers
to drive them off, that we made a
':bluff'' at them, whatever that may
be, all Of which are as much different
from the facts as it is we'll possible to
be-
We arrived at Mile Lacs Friday,
the 18th of this month, Saturday
large number of Indians gathered at
Il house near Sargents on the east
side OF the lake, and I will say they
were as quiet and orderly a crowd
us you often see together Not one
showed any evidence of the Aitkin
liquorbefore mentioned; they listened
quietly to what we had to say; the
word soldier was not mentioned, in
any OF our talk; no threat OF any
kind was made: we stated facts as
we understood them and told what
we believed was best for them, viz:
All go to White Earth take the land
that they and their wives and
children were entitled to, and which
every man, who is advising them to
stay away and do nothing that the
officers of the government wish them
to do, knows they can get nowhere
else. These Indians are anxious to
do something r themselves, but
the advice they get confuses them.
The Mile Lacs Indians do not, and
have not for years, to any great
extent, lived on the sO-called reser-
vation a few live near the lake for a
portion Of the year. They live at
Knife lake, Sturgeon lake, Sandstone
and all over the north part of the
state,
Now why should any one advise
any of these scattering bands not to
go to White Earth where there are
good schools for their children and
good land foi farmers, Il good home
for them to live in, Il new cook stove
for each family, and every assistance
rendered for them to get start.
Extra efforts have been made to do
the right thing by this band OF Chip
pewas. They sold their reserva-
ton years ago and everyone
knows that they signed an
agreement under Hon. H. NJ. Rice
whereby they relinquished the right
OF possession though a large major
ity of them were not then in posses
sion and had not been for years, and
it is wicked for certain individuals to
keep these Indians roaming around
the northern part OF the state in the
swamps and barrons, their children
growing up in ignorance for what
ever selfish motives they may have.
They and others know that the set
tiers will not he driven off the So
called Mile Lacs reservation, they
know the patents to those lands will
not be cancelled after they have been
issued. AS many are knowing this as
they must, why should he write to
those Indians not ttugotoWhite Earth
and not send any OF their head men
to Washington unless he goes with
them? The government has never
done to any other Indians in history
what it is doing for these Mile Lacs
Indians in the way of assisting them
to get a start on as good land as
there is in the state of Minnesota.
Many have an idea that it is poor
country. The White Earth reserva-
ton is of the best, but if Mr. Richard
son can see any good results by ad-
vising these Indians to remain
where they are and take all their in
spirations from him, and the settlers
and all interested are satisfied that
these things should be thusly, why
the United States agent orChippewa
commissioners are not the ones to
complain, though il anything is
known that the public is interested
III facts should be kept in view if pos
sible. 1t should be known that
houses and good houses are ready
for all the Mile Lacs Indians at White
Earth. Many of them now live in
wigwams at Mile Lacs, why will
they not better theircOndition? How
long would white man wait If he
could have the same offer under like
circumstances? In good humor let u:
all think OF these things.
Respectfully,
! d. S. HALL.