The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-05-28

acting commissioner Of the general
land Office to Knute Nelson, q. S.
senate, under date of the 18th OF
January, 1896. Copy herewith
The Mile Laos Indians, by agree
ment, relinquished their right Of oc-
cupancy Of the Mile Laos reservation
and agreed to the act Of January IA,
1889, in consideration of the provisions
in their favor therein contained, which
are thus stated in the secretary's no
tice above mentioned, viz:
ssThe act entitled AN act for the
relief and civilization of the Chippewa
Indians in the State of Minnesota pro-
vides for the negotiation with all the
different bands or tribes of Chippewa
Indians in the State Of Minnesota for
the complete cession and relinuuish-
ment, in writing, of all their title and
interest in and to all the reserva-
tions of said Indians in the State Of
Minnesota, except the White Earth
and Red Lake reservations, and to all
and so much of these two reservations
as in the Judgment of said commission
is not required to make and fill the al
lotments required by this and existing
acts, and shall not have been reserved
by the commissioners for said purposes.
for the purposes and upon the terms
therein stated
s''The act further provides for allot-
ments of land in severalty to the
Chippewa Indians in Minnesota and for
the reservation of sufficient land for
that purpose on the Red Lake reserva-
ton for the Indians residing and be-
longing thereon, and on the White
Earth reservation for the Indians resid-
ing and belonging thereon, and also for
all the Indians residing and belonging
on the Leech Lake, Cass Lake, Lake
Winnebagoshish, White Oak Point,
Mile Laos, Fond du Lac, Boise Fort,
Deer Creek, and Grand Portage reser-
vations.
1T however provides that any of
the Indians residingron any of said res
ervations may, in his discretion, take
his allotment in severalty under this act
on the reservation where he lives at
the time the removal herein provided
for is effected instead of being removed
Earth reservation "
1T was stated by the acting commits
sioner of the general land office, under
date of the 18th of February, 1895, that
the examination of the Mile Laos
lands as provided for by said act can
not be begun until the allotments to
the Indians have been completed, as it
will not be known until then how much
of said lands will be subject to disposal
as aforesaid. 1888
= ut cannot be legally ascertained
which of the lands are agricultural ex-
cept by examination under said act,
which has not yet been made, nor can
it be determined which lands occupied
by settlers will be required for allot-
ments to Indians until after the allot-
ments provided for are completed.
1t appears that lands were reserved
for the Mile Laos Indians on the
White Earth reservation, if they
should elect to go there, but they have
not SO elected, refusing, on the con-
taary, to leave the Mile Laos reserva-
ton, on which they have long lived,
and asking that lands be allotted to
them thereon in accordance with the
understanding with them when they
gave their assent to the act of January
IA, 1889. The matter of allowing al
lotments in the Mile Laos reservation
is now under consideration in the de-
partment. >.~
I'm this case the prospect appears to
have been held out to the Indians from
the first that they would be allowed to
retain their old homes, and not com
PEELED to go elsewhere, but most of the
lands which might have been appro-
priated for homes for them in accord
ance with this understanding appear
to have been otherwise disposed of to
white people. =
'There are some five or six thousand
acres remaining in the Mile Laos res
ervation not embraced in valid ad-
verse claims, a quantity inadequate to
give allotments to all the Mile Laos
Indians, several hundred in number,
and it is believed that if the right of
persons who have gone on these lands
while reserved from settlement under
existing law, for the benefit of the In
dams, contrary to the published notice
of the secretary of the Interior above
mentioned, and who now assert claims
as settlers, are confirmed by special
Legislation in their favor as proposed,
there will be no lands left for allot-
ment to the Indians
Very Respectfully,
VIM. o. CONWAY. E
May 6, 1896.