The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-11-10
HAlF-BREEDS
ARE TO BLAME
Especially the Half Educated Breeds
Who Have Married Back.
And Write Letters to the Department
and Newspapers, But When a Spe-
caI Agent Comes No One Will
Father the Statements


servation are thus reviewed by a for
mer agent. who publishes his letter
in the Great Falls Tribune:
Sir:-I cannot refrain, after read
ing many articles in different papers,
IN Montana commenting on the work
done under different government
officers, particularly on the Blackfeet
reservation, but also in other depart
ments in this state under govern
ment control.
In giving you not only my views
On the subject, drawn from many
years of not only outside observat-
ions, but actual, working contact
with the tribe of Blackfeet Indians,
l must trespass on your space to
give short synopsis of how that
tribe has been handled by the Unit
ed States government. and leading
up to their present standing and
prosperity. or otherwise, from the
year that l first came to the north
west territories of Canada, in the
year 1874. I might say that in that
year the Northwest mounted police
first came to the Northwest terrific
ries of Canada, and in that force l
held commission. I have been in
the northwest ever since that time
and have held several positions;
among others, in the year 1875 had
charge of treaty No. Z. which CON-
prised you might say, all the Black
feet nation, including the present
tribe of Piegan Indians included in
the present Blackfeet reservation of
Montana. You must therefore &C
knowledge that I am justified in my
assertion that l am competent to
write an article on the present and
past administration of that reserve.
I therefore do so without fear Or ia
vor. and if the few words | write
write will in any way show faults
committed. or faults to be corrected,
and put an end to communications
to different papers in the state. writ
ten by parties wholly unacquainted
with the subject, and also mostly
written in the spirit of animOsity,
should feel myself amply repaid. In
the old days the press was not open
to the class of halfeducated half
breeds on Indian reservations, as
there were none. but now since
young men belonging to different In
dian tribes return from school, they
do not as a general thing go to work.
but their time is taken up with find
ing fault with the present existing
state of things on the reserve to
which they belong. Not only do they
make themselves and their relatives
uneasy. but thew naturally influence
the full-blood Indians on their reser-
walton, who look to them for advice
I will now take the present Black
feet reservation in Montana as an
instance.
When l first became acquainted
with the Blackfeet tribe of Indians
was as | before stated. in the year
1874. In those days the United States
government bod an agency for the
Blackfeet on Badger creek. Major
Young was agent The buffalo were
plenty and the Indians seldom visit
Cd the agency. most of the Indians
belonging to the present South Fle-
gan or now Blackfeet agency were in
the north. mixed with lheir relatives,
che Bloods and North Blackfeet,
huntig buffalo. After few years the
buffalo, as is we'll known, were exteT-
minated and the Indians had to go to
their different reservations to obtain
helm from the government to live.
MANY Vi tHe bldthiecI eiiDS "She
north and took the treaty extended
to them by the Canadian government
in 1877, winch comprised the Black
feet proper, a portion Of the Piegans,
and Rloo1s who belonged to the
Blackfeet nation. A lsrge numcDr
came south and settled on the Black
feet reservation in Northwest Mon
tana. and have remained on that re-
servation ever since.
The United States government has
always. from the beginning, been
most liberal with the Blackfeet re
servation. sparing no expense In the
issue of rations. issue of stock and
sending the best men available as
agents and other agency officers.
Now the question arises how has the
liheralitv Of the government been re-
warded? Have the Indians advanced
toward self support, or have they not ?
7 NAV saw from persoral observations
of many years that +hov most certain
ly have, but not nearly to the extent
tho+ sr'oh a LARGE OUTLAW should war
rant The reason of this is easily
seen. Agent after accent has boo
APPOINTED 70 tho P1ao','oot $780,
and have eieher been transferred on
some comnlaint made bv residents OF
the reservation or have given up
their work in utter disgust with the
obstacles thew had to overcome. In
the mast EIGHT years there have been
seven Indian AGENTS On the Blackfeet
reservation. All have left for rea-
sons above stated. excepting the man
now HOLDING that rosi'ion. Mr.. J. H.
Nontoath. who has now been agent
on that reserve for three years,
which is longer than any agent has
held the Office in the past 10 years:
but now the papers TEEN with arti.
cles stating that state of disorder
EXISTS on the reserve. charging the
agent with neglect OF duty, and SO
on ad infinitum.
Now. myself. as disinterested
outsider. we'll ACQUAINTED with the
working of the Blackfeet reserve
hovo roo1 poocf of fh0co