The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-04
KENNAN'S ATTACK REPELtED
Indian Commissioner Defends His Course in
Connection With Standing Rock Leases.

be leased were drawn UP in accordance with
the terms Of the written agreement.
Now as to the change of heart. The agree
ment provides that the grazing privilege shall
be granted and the price to be paid shall be
at rate mot less than 81 per head per an
mum for each and every head of cattle intro
duced and grazed upon said reservation.
There was no Limitation placed on the number
of cattle to be brought on the reservation at
any time The ranges could easily be over
stocked and ruined in one season under such
an arrangement. 1t was thought best, tnere-
fore when the leases were prepared, to pro-
vide for leasing the land by the acre. 1t was
also provided that the number OF cattle
brought on the ranges should not exceed one
for every forty acres Of pasture. 1t was also
provided in the leases that the fences should
be constructed at the expense or the lessees
and not at the expense of the Indians, as they
agreed The latter change was for the beneht
OF the Indians, as they would get all the nrst
years lease money without cent OF deduc-
ton, while under the form OF agreement
quoted they would have lost considerable be-
cause of the expense OF fencing the lands.
The leases also provide that each Indian who
owns stock shall have the use Of forty acres
Of grazing land in these pastures for each
head OF cattle owned by him up to lOO head
This would give each Indian who owned 100
| head of cattle 900 acres OF land for his own
USE FOR which the lessee would have to pay
| the lease price. The best price offered when
| the bids were opened trifle more than
9 cents an acre. It will be seen that, with
! tho number of cattle limited to one for each
! forty acres of grazing land. the price that
! tho Indians will get for their grazing prlVl-
I legcs Is 81 20 each year for every head or cat
| tie brought the reservation. rms IS ~
per cent more per head than would nave Deen
| put into their fund under the agreement
| fha rroytsOp limiting the num-
Der of cattle insures the preservation OF the
range.
Not So Many Families.
Mr.. KEENAN, speaks OF the number of fami-
lies occupying land in the area that is to be
| leased, and the hardship that will be forced
upon them by having outside cattle put Oh
their lands. They nearly all located
along Grand river. Mr.. KEENAN, says there
are 400 families there. The delegation or IN
dams who were here informed me that thefe
are only 176 families living along that stream,
while Inspector Mclaughlin, whose wife and
family live on the reservation, tells me there
are ONLY ffty-two families within the grazing
area. Mr.. KEENAN, also says that these III
dians cannot get the wire to renee tnelr
holdings nearer than the railroad: That is
not true because they can get all tney WANT
at the agency for nothing. All they have to
n do Is to ask for it and take it away. renee
posts are also plentiful, Notwithstanding MI
Kennan, AS to the difficulty they will have
in constructing these fences, the office Of
, fered to give help to such Indians as coulo
not do the work themselves. we DO not
nropose to let an able-bodied Indian LOAF
while some one else does the work, but every
assistance will be afforded such as cannot
fence their lands unaided In reasonable
: time.
Referring to Mr.. Remnants structures on INT
, method pursued by me in advertising for pro
posals for these leases. l will say that th'
{ usual time for advertisements TO run J.
| twenty DAYS. The Office may nave restrlcte'
the time in this instance because OF the deslr
2 to nut the leases in operation by the pegln
D ming Of the year. But. notW1t hstandlns tnat
S six proposals we're submitted for the leas1n,
S privileges on the two pastures on the Stand
I ing Rock reservation, while but one bid wa
Q submitted for each of the four pastures OF
= the Cheyenne River reservation, in which cas-
: the advertisement ran for the usual PERIOD
AS to the difference in prices offered, /
should be known the Standing Rock reser
? walton does not afford as good winter range
s as the Cheyenne River reservation, which l
3 further south.
AS to any imputation that l acted In collu
q son with any one in this matter l will no
q dignity it by discussing 1t in any way.
/, will only add that the entire transac
k tiou as conducted by me was with the fu
e knowledge and approval Of the president an
= the secretary of the interior.
w. W. Jermane.