The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1895-10-12
OUR INDIAN CHARGES
Their Fishing Rights on the
Columbia River.
WILL BIZ AFFORDED
Rocks at Tumw alter aud wishsm
-spokanes aud Their Lands.

ROCKS n TumWa ter aud Wlshom
-spokanes aud Their Lands.
Washington. Oct SIN his annual
report the commissioner Of Indian
affairs has something to say about In.
dian fishing on the Columbia. From
time immemorial, says he, 1.-THE In
dams have been accustomed to fish in
the Columbia river, but inch by inch
they have been forced back by the
whites from the best fishing grounds,
and not allowed to fish with the whites
in common as provided in the treaty
concluded June Q, 1855. They have
borne this denial with patience. but
urged that they be restored to their an
cestral and treaty rights. Agents have
twice been sent to investigate and as
certain the best method of settling the
matter. Both reported that it was the
duty Of the government TO protect the
Indians in their treaty rights to their
valuable fisheries, and recommended
that the attention Of district attorneys
for Oregon and Washington be called
to the matter in order that proceedings
might be instituted in the federal
courts looking to the protection Of the
Indians, and with a view to enjoining
encroaching parties from further inter-
ference with them"
The commissioner says that such &C.
ton has been taken and that the dis
trict attorney of Washington has al.
ready been instructed to take measures
TO protect the Indians.
Indian Agent Irwin, of the Yakima
agency. who recently visited the fish
ing grounds at Tumwater and Wlsham,
has something to say about the cele-
brated painted rocks which is included
in the report of the commissioner.
The commissioner, commenting on
THESE rocks, says:
They bear the faces and figures in
unfading colors of a race Of people long
extinct. Though the Indians have no
knowledge Of the people who painted
these rocks, il is evident that this was
fishing ground before the confederated
tribes of Yakima Indians existed, and
that the ancestors of these tribes had
been accustomed to fish there long be.
fore the white men appeared on the Co
! lumbia river.
Agent Irwin quotes from Lewis and
Clarke's history which describes the
painted rocks prior to 1910.
/ Commissioner Browning says that it
is source of qualification that the In.
dams belonging to the Upper aud Mid
die bands of Spokane have finally To-
Gated upon their allotted lands and
left the city of Spokane.
There has long been trouble about
the Chehalen Indians and the commits
sioner says that the department of JUS
tice has been instructed to institute
suits to put the Indians in possession
of the lands claimed by them and al
lotted to them, and to quiet the title.
He says these Indians have long been
harrassed and annoyed by trespassers
claiming to have some sort of title to
the lands.
The report Of the commissioner
shows that during the year, Sal patents
have been delivered to the Siletz In
dams in Oregon; l,576 to the Nez Per.
ces in Idaho; and that 2lS allottments
have been approved for the Nez Per.
ces; schedules of allottments to the
number of ga have been received from
the Warm Springs Indians, but have
not been acted upon. Special Agent
Worden is continuing the work on the
klamath reservation and additional
surveys have been recommended.