Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-05-12
NEW MOVE or INDIANS.
Branch Of Sioux Tribe Want TO
Go Into Business.
THBY WISH TO RAISE CATTLE.

The Lower Brule band or the sioux
tribe of Indians has added page to
the ethnology of the North American
red man that is altogether new and
hopeful by taking vigorously enter
prising course in the certainty which
confronts it that Uncle Sam VIII soon
cease to supply it with clothing for the
men. women and children. June 80
next the so year treaty between the
Sioux tribe and the United States gov
eminent viii expire, and instead of
seeking its renewed the Lower Brule
band has prepared a petition which
was forwarded from Sioux City, Ia, by
Major James Mclaughlin of Washing
ton, Indian inspector, with his recon-
mendation, asking that it be given the
privilege of disposing of two sections
of it's land and using the proceeds to
launch into the cattle raising business.
This is the first voluntary act of self
support which any tribe has even TAX
en-, says the Chicago Record.
Major Mclaughlin, who is called
White Feather, or Wab-de-za-wi-cas-
ia (Man Who Travels About Looking
Into Things), has had 40 years expert
ence with the Indians and is as famil-
larry known to the Apaches of the far
southwest as to the Sioux of the north
west and the Omahas and Winneba-
goes of eastern Nebraska, said that the
decision of the Lower Brules was the
most unique step he had known any
band to take. 1t marks new era.
Those who declare that the Indian
question is a hopeless question will
have to begin all over again. He was
enthusiastic in his praise of the tribe
when he returned to Sioux City from
the trip to the Lower Brule agency to
attend the council of the band concern
ing the petition and said that the coun-
Gil in itself was a novelty in Indian
affairs
'In the first place." he said, "the
eyes of the writer of Indian fiction who
does not know moccasin from wam-
pun bag would have popped out with
surprise to see that council. Instead of
squalid redskins in dirty blankets and
with greasy paint smeared recklessly
over their faces, sitting stolidly about
campfire and passing dirty old
pipe around, that council looked like
the gathering of stock company's di-
rectors. All the braves wore the dress
of civiliZation-not the ultra fashiona-
BILE, but the conventional attire of white
men-and they sat around a table, fig
uring out the amount of money they
would have to spend for cattle If they
sold the two sections of land which
they had decided to offer on the mar
ket-if Uncle Sam was willing. Big
Name, the chief, was as level headed
and astute a business man as you
would meet in a stock exchange in New
York or Chicago. There were also pres
ent Bull Head, Black Elk, Fire Thun-
der and Swift Hawk. All of them un-
derstood the English language more or
less perfectly, but, as talk Sioux with
any of them, we adopted that language
to discuss this tribal question"
The proposition of the chief, Big
Name, one that he has thought over for
years, was presented. The plan was
this: AS the time had come when the
government would soon cease to sup-
port them his braves had agreed with
him that two sections of land should
be sold and that the proceeds of the
sale should be put to the purchase of
cattle and that the cattle should be ap-
portioned among the families different-
ly than was done by the government in
its beef issue. Not every family should
have the same number of head because
not all were equally able to care for
them and make them productive. The
aged and infirm should not have sol
many cattle as the man with five on
six big sons; the man with daughters
should not have so many as the mani
with sons. The government could adopt
an agency brand and then beside theI
agency brand every head could be-
branded also with the mark of the|
family to which it belonged.
The land which will be offered I'D
some of the finest grazing land OF thd
reservation. 1t is on the west side o1
the Missouri river, - miles frol(
Chamberlain, S. D.. and Big Name pu
the price at $1.25 an acre, but at Nal
jor McLaughlin's suggestion this wa
decided to be too low. Big Name ask
ed all kinds of questions as to how t
ship, when, how many cattle it wouln
require to support the band and no
many cattle the sale of the land wouly
enable them to buy. 1t was de ,ld
that 1000 heifers and so graded bull
would start the business. The reservds
ton will be fenced.
The petition of the Lower Brul1
with the accommodation of Mail
Mclaughlin, has been sent to the II
dian bureau, but it may require co;
gressional action to make valid "
sanction Of the government to the sd
of the land by the tribe. 1t is expck
ed by Major Mclaughlin that thaJ
partment would give special atte1ti(
10 the petition and that it was possx
Die that action might promptly be ha1
"BuffaIo' Jones' Contract.