The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-08-01
Wandering Chippewa Indians Who
Are Looking for Grub Stake.
ASK FOR "MR. WASHINGTON
Who Helps the Red Men-Chief
Stony Boy Once Killed the Buffalo.
He Now Wants to Farm for Him.
self and People.

weather beaten face that showed the
marks of hardships and privations
without number, arrived in Helena
today in search of "Mr Washington, !"
who was in the habit, he had heard
of assisting destitute red men, says
| the Herald.
Stony Boy, accompanied by an in
terpreter, Henry Peppo, called on
United States District Attorney Carl
Rasch today and explained his mis-
sion. He said he and his people, as
appeared from various documents he
produced, were in search of farms,
and that they desired to secure grub
on which to make the march to the
promised land.
''Mr Washington" said Chief Stony
Boy, che makes the laws and he helps
the Indians, and we want him to give
us grub until we find our land"
With that speech, given with some
difficulty through the interpreter, a
quarter breed Indian and French
Canadian, who himself spoke English
with some difficulty, Chief Stony Boy
produced number of papers which
he exhibited to the district attorney.
One was letter signed by John w.
James, an Anaconda lawyer, who
wrote:
THE bearer is a homeless, honest
Chippewa Indian by the name of
Stony Boy, who is looking for piece
of land on which to locate and take
up under the laws in relation to In
dian homesteads. He will not harm
anyone nor anyones property. His
only desire is to be unmolested."
Henry, the interpreter stated that
Chief Stony Boy and his people, con-
sisting of IL lodges, had passed the
winter and spring in the neighbor-
hood of Butte and Anaconda, and
/ that they were now on their way to
Northern Montana, where they hoped
to take up lands and find homes for
themselves. They had not selected
any lands, but hoped to find a home
in the st. Mary's lake country, to
which place they were now bound.
He said that they could not proceed
|
to Helena thinking that the govern
ment would furnish them enough to
take them to their destination and
supply them until they could get their
farms established. The Indians, with
whom he lived, were camped seven
or eight miles west of Helena.
Among Chief Stony Boys letters
was one from the acting commits
sioner of the general land office, ex-
planning the status of Indians not con-
nected with tribes, in relation to TAX
ing up lands. The acting commits
sioner stated that such Indians could
either take up lands under the home
stead law as ordinary citizens, or
might be allotted lands as Indians.
Referring to the allotment of lands,
the acting commissioner wrote:
Indians applying for allotments
could be allowed to enter unsurveyed
lands of the United Atates-the lands
so entered to be subject to adjust
ment of the public survey when ex-
tended over them. Further, under
this section they would be entitled to
$50 acres of agricultural land, or
double this if the lands are available
only for grazing purposes, while UNI
der the homestead law, whlle and In
dian citizens are entitled to but a
quarter section of land"
1t was some time before District
Attorney Rasch could explain to
Chief Stony Boy and his companion
that "Mr, Washington" did not grub
stake his Indians. The district attor-
ney told them that they would be
compelled to depend upon some other
source for their supplies. The old
chief was keenly disappointed, but he
did not express his views before the
district attorney. After he had left
Mr.. Raschs office, Stony Boy had a
word to say.
Mr.. Washington" he said to his
interpreter, don't care for Indian.
Let the Indian starve; kill off the
buffalo, and then give him nothing
but land. We had all the land once. -
This Indian was big chief once,
said Henry, speaking of Stony Boy.
His father was born in Minnesota
and was chief there, but he was
born in this state, up north, where he
has lived for more than thirty years.
He used to kill many buffalo. In
those days the Indians had plenty to
eat and were happy. Now they don t
have anything and some OF the chill
dren have never seen a buffalo,
"And what did you used to dor
Henry was asked
Il have lived always with the In
dians-I am an Indian he replied.
Il killed plenty of buffalo many years
ago"
! With Chief Stony Boy in Helena,
was his son, Posse-e-teo, and a Cree
Indian called Ok-sin.
i