Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1903-07-31
MONEY FOR INDIANS.
Government to Pay for Kansas Land
Granted to Settlers.
Nearly Two Million Dollars to BE d.
vided Among 5000 Red Men of
the Sin Nations In New
York state.

The interior department, through
Indian Commissioner Jones. is making
preparations to pay Sl.99S,744 to the
Six Nations Indians of New York state.
awarded to them by congress three
years ago, rs the result of their fa-
nous Kansas land claim against the
United States government. The In.
dians who will receive the money num-
ber about 5000 and are included in tho
Onondagas, Oneidas. Cayugns. Senccas.
st. Regis, Tuscaroras, StCckbriGgcS.
Muses. and Brothertowns tribes
Each individual will receive approx.
imately $500, and the money will be
paid by check To prevent frauds, says
Washington report.
The history OF the Six Nations claim
against the government is interesting
and shows another attempt of the
white man To cheat the Ecdskin out OF
what was rightfully his. Several his
torical documents Of almost priceless
value figure i'm the case.
One of the documents is n sheepskir
parchment, dated 1893, and signed
Knox. Secretary of War" This paper
was issued during Washington's ad-
ministration. The paper is addressed
ITO the Sachcms. Chiefs and Warriors
of the Six Nations" and is n request
from the government for the Indians
to hold convention and sign treaty
with the newly established common
wealth wrested from Great Britain.
As result OF this the treaty with the
New York Indians of 1894 was signed.
which brought peace 10 the western
boundaries of the infant republic.
The second document is dated "War
Department. May IL. l79S." and is
signed "Joseph W. Henry. Secretary
of War" 1t is n statement from Uncle
Sam. showing that the sum of 500. 900
had been received on deposit from the
Six Nations at the United States treas
ury. Both of these papers are orig
inals and very valuable. The $1,000
referred TO is the sum received hy the
Indians from Robert Morris. the Phila-
delphia capitalist. for 5OCn.GGO acres
OF the richest land III New York state.
In 1927, when Morris bought the land,
he paid for IL Rt the rate of two cents
nm acre.
The Kansas claim originated in 1898.
aithou nothing was h ard Of IL at
that time. In that year tic New York
Indians decided to move west end pur-
chased 100000 acres Of land IN Wiscon-
sin. For some reason Hey did not
make the trip and the same wear the
Indians trnd"d the land H. Wisconsin
to the government for / .S24. 900 ncrcs
of land IN Kansas.
a project to settle on this land also
fell through. and the Indians did not
go to Kansas. In 1850. when the por-
tion of Kansas where the land Law was
opened for settlement, white men took
up the Indians land and in 1873 con-
grcss passed law to sell the Indians
land in Kansas to white settlers, in
spite of the fact that 80 years before
they had given this land 10 the Indians.
After 90 years of constant efforts con-
grcss In 1900 passed the law authoriz-
ing the payment of nearly $4,000, 900
for the land in dispute.
The Six Nations, now numbering
about G.Oo0, still retain $4,000 acres in
the richest part of New York state.
They are wealthy and indus trious. and
have in the United States treasury n
large sum Of money. The SlO0OOO oh.
taincd from Robert Morris In 1907 Is
still untouched and to that has been
added by various sales of land sums
which have made the tota! nearly $780,
600, on which the Indians annually
draw interest.