Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21

II section OF country, siNty-lhree
n miles wide and sixty-elght miles
In length Within It's confines lives
IA nation Of genuine Americans,
known az the Usage Indian tribe, They
are in a measure isolated from the
world and In this age OF progress and
civilization may we'll be clnssed as u
peculiar people, Peculiar In the
sense that they have an antpaihy to
individual ownership Of land, and de-
sire nothing better than to be left en-
tlrely alone,
These Indians hold CHS vast country
in common, have a deed In fee simple
from the United States government,
giving them clean absolute title This
with $0,OOO,OOO in cash held in trust by
the government, drawing 8 per cent a
year, payable in quarterly installments,
Is the basis of their riches Their lands
and money are the outgrowth Of n
treaty made with Uncle Sam for the
vast area Of the country they occupied
prior to 1872, in which is now the state
of Kansas. In this way the tribe has
acquired a position that Is almost inn
pregnable 10 settlement by the whites
In legal sense II would be impossible
for the government to open their Coun-
try 10 settlement without a special
treaty, and the consideration would
have to be something more than indi-
vidual aloiments Of 100 acres for each
man, woman and child.
Each ana every Indian from these va
rlous sources receives from $500 to S4O0
year in cash on interest and rentals
alone, while they are permitted under
their tribal laws 10 use all the land they
can for cattle raising and farming, lie
who has the largest family receives the
greatest income IN annuties. Quite q
number Of both full-bloods and half
breeds have grown wealthy.
Although the nominal wards Of the
interior department. they are logQiTy
and financially independent and have
the right to exercise the functions Of
sovereign power This they have
failed to do IN the last few years owing
to the policy Of the bureau Of Indian
ettairs, that is aiming to discourage
the spirit Of tribal government
There are about seventeen hundred
Indians on the tribal roll, divided into
about one-half equally Of full-boods
and half breeds. The full -bloods now
hold the upper hand and are unalter,
ably opposed to the innovation Of the
methods of modern civilization. The
half-breeds, on the other hand are the
progressive element yet they, like the
full hoods are opposed to the allot-
~ TO- ~ Tho IN IA
ety. While this is true, 1t only has
reference to their interest IN the soil
In other respects they entertain for one
another the usual animus that mani
fests itself among opposing and con-
tending factions.
A FINE TYPE OF INDIAN
The full-blood Is perhaps as fine n
type OF physical manhood as the eye Of
the Caucasian win ever see. Some few
Of them, like Bigheart, Black Dog,
Nic-ah-wo-chi tonka, Cassidy and Yell
low Horse, will compare favorably with
the white man IN natural Intelligence,
Jim Bgheart is the Mark Hanna
of the tribe and man of more than
ordinary political cleYerness and tact
Our modern "Dck" Crokers and TON"
Platts could learn lesson or two from
this willy red man Of the plains. II Is
owing largely, If not wholly, TO the
ability of this chief that the Usage ma
ton has been able to maintain It's COM
munal integrity against the machina-
lions OF dishonest officials, Indian trad
ers and land grabbing sharks.
Chief Bigheart comes TO washington
almost every session OF Congress IN The
interest of his people. He Is looked up
on by the knowing ones OF the lobby
as a fellow craftsman. II was due to the
friendship of the chief that the writer
was able to visit the tribe and learn Of
their history, habits and customs,
THE VISIT.
After an al-day drive covering over
sixty miles, through the largest cattle
pastures In the country, In company
with Mr.. $. j. Soldina, we arrived at
Pawhuska the Indian agency as well
MS the capital Of the Usage nation. My
reception was cordial, Mr., Mtcher, the
agent extending to me the freedom Of
the reservation. Chief Bigheart arrived
tie following morning, and after spend
log a day around the agency the chief
end started on a thrty-mile drive to
his home. On our arrival ! found q
modern built cottage surrounded by
barns, stables and the usual outbuild-
irgs found on western ranch, After
my introduction TO the chiefs wife and
daughter, we ate a lunch, and Jim"
and / started out for a mess of squirrel.
We spent the afternoon In the woods.
t'he way that old Indian chief could
Locate the "bushy tails" in the thick
foliage and tall timber was revelation
&c this game-hunting teuderf0ot. jim
located the SQUIRRELS and / shot them.
ON our return to the house | noticed
twenty-five or thirty Indians: old
bucks, young bucks, baby bucks, old
squaws, young squaws, baby squaws,
Indian ponies and wagons. | was at a
loss to know where they came from,
and asked "Jim" IL that was the rest
Of his family. The big chief replied;
I'm not Brigham Young" indicating
the chief possessed vein Of humor, IL
told my friends" he went on to say,
you were coming, and you had helped
us I'm Washington, and were the best
friend he had In the city Of "the great
white chief" They have come to see
YOU, and win stay with you until you
leave" | shook hands with all. They
had but little to say but showed me
by their actions that they were pleased
tn have me with them,
The evening meal was prepared ana
served by the squaws In relays, The
older bucks with the chief and the
writer were first at the table After
the plates OF all were filled i was IN
teresting to see the difficulty under
which some Of them labored In an ef-
fort to use their knives and forks IL
was awkward In the extreme. set the
example Of diving in with my fingers
end the rest Of them, save the ohiet'
followed suit The meal over we
smoked and they all gathered around
us and listened to the "heap big tax
CT Jim and the other braves They
told me their troubles their history
their hopes and desires Few OF them
could talk English. Big Heart ana
Sassy Calf doing the Interpreting
Some OF these "old bucEs' had enlist
cd in the Union army during the Civil
war, and rendered great service Tor tne
Union cause. They were especially
anvlors that | should make known 10