The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-04
CANADIAN INDIANS IN MONTA-
 MA

| INA.
 They Crossed the Border After Riel Rebellion and Are a Nuisance,
 At the collapse of the so-called Riel
 rebellion, large number of half | breeds, who had presumably been con-
 cerned in it fled across the border iron.
 the northwest territories and settled in | Montana. At the same time number
 of Cree Indians made a similar migra- 1 ton. All these people have since re-
 sided in Montana, although on one or | two occasions United States troops at
 the request of the Indian bureau have
 gathered up the Indians, taken them to <, the boundary line, and thrust them
 across into Canada. But so soon as the l troops moved away, the Indians re- l turned to the places along the Missou- 1 Ii and Milk rivers, where they have l been accustomed to live.
 Many Of the Cree half-breeds settled
 in the Judith Basin, where some of
 them have done well as farmers and stock raisers. Others, however, spend
 their whole time hunting and trapping,
 destroying game. fur and fish at all seasons, without regard to the law of the land, of which they are presumably
 ASAtpA eti'l' tI " pC lCillCiilbVACo Ahat
 two or three years since these half
 breeds got in among little bunch of bufffalo which still ranged in the neighborhood of the Dry Fork of the Missouri, and killed about sixteen of them, which was perhaps more than half of the herd. We believe that no steps were taken at the time to punish them for this, though there was talk of sending out troops to capture them.
 During last autumn these half-breeds have been hunting as usual. ard as usual in violation of the law, and since their methods are so well known it would certainly seem worth the while of the authorities of Montana to take steps ta put an end to this abuse. A very few convictions would do this. It must be understood that these half breeds have no hunting rights in Mon- tana or anywhere else. beyond those possessed by the ordinary white citi- zens of the state. Their case is not like that of certaintri bes of Utes in Colorado, or certain Bannocks and Snakes in Idaho and Wyoming, to which the United States long ago guar anteed forever the right to hunt on the uiOSCupltu ldlluS Ol tlC oullCu toldtGS. On the contrary, these half-breeds are immigrants, real outlanders and should be held to a strict accountability to the law
 This law provides that every person who wilfully hunts, chases or runs with dogs any buffalo, moose, elk, deer, an- telope, Rocky Mountain goat or moun- tain sheep, shall be punishable. Now all through this autumn of 1899 the Ca nadian half-b breeds have been hunting in the Missouri river valley below the mouth of Arrow Creek, running white tailed deer with dogs and killing many I of them There is every reason to be- l lieve that they are doing this to-day, and that they will continue to do it un- til the spring, for they pay no regard to times or seasons as established by | game laws.
 Montana game has already become so scarce that what is left ought to be | protected. It is probable that the up by the proper authorities of the few of these half-breeds will | have wonderful effect on the Montana game supply within the next few years. 1 Forest and Stream