Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1900-02-07
CANADIAN INDIANS.
Many Crossed the Border Into Nom
tana After the Collapse of the
Riel Rebellion.

At the collapse of the so-called Riel
rebellion a large number of half
breeds who had presumably been con-
cerned in it fled across the border
from, the northwest territories and
settled in Montana. At the same time
a number of Cree Indians made a SIM
liar migration. All these people have
since resided 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 troops moved away the
Indians returned to the places along
the Missouri and Milk rivers, where
they have 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 trap
ping, destroying game, fur and fish ut
all seasons, without regard to the law
OF the land, of which they are pre-
sumably ignorant. 1t will be remem-
bered that two or three years since
these half-breeds got in among a little
bunch of buffalo which still ranged in
the neighborhood of the Dry Fork of
the Missouri and killed about 16 Of
them, which was perhaps more than
half of the herd. We believe that no
steps were taken at the time to pun
ish them for this, though there was
talk of sending out troops to capture
them.
Duringl last autumn these half-bree.1s-
have been hunting as usual, and 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 to put an end to this abuse. a
very few convictions would do this.
1t must be understood that these half
breeds have no hunting rights in Mon
tana Or anywhere else beyond those
possessed by the ordinary white c;ti-
zens of the state. Their case is not
like that of certain tribes OF Utes in
Colorado or certain Bannocks and
Snakes in Idaho and Wyoming, to
| "AAA\A CAO oA1lCu Ot<tteS lOuR ago
guaranteed forever the right to hunt
OIL the unoccupied lands of the Unit
ed States. On the contrary, these
half-breeds are immigrants, real out
landers, and should be held to strict
accountability to the law.
This law provides that every person
who wilfully hunts, chases or runs
with dogs any buffalo, moose, elk,
deer, antelope, Rocky mountain goat
Or mountain sheep shall be punish
able. Now all through this autumn
Of 1899 the Canadian half-breeds have
been hunting in the Missouri river
valley below the mouth of Arrow
creek, running white=tailed deer with
dogs and killing many of them. There
is every reason to believe that they are
doing this to-day and that they will
continue to do it until 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. 1t is probable that the
rounding up by the proper authorities
of the few of these half-breeds will
have a wonderful effect on the Mon
tana game supply within the next
few years.-Forest and Stream.
"Kind Lndy md No Dog"