The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-02-03
DISCOURAGED AT SLOW PRO-
GREss OF IRRIGATION DITCH.
FAVOR SALE or RESERVE
Educated Member Of Tribe Tells
Some of TroubIes-Rich in. Land
Poor Other Ways.
From Fridays Daily Gazette.

From Fridays Daily Gazette.
Alexander Uushaw, a member Of
the Grow tribe of Indians and one of
the best posted men of the tribe in
the ways of the white man, was in the
city today. Upshaw is a son of Pref
ty Eagle, one of the most %inuential
members Of his tribe. The former
received his education at the reser-
walton schools and at Carlisle. He
has been a teacher in one of the
largest industrial Indian schools con-
Quoted by the government.
While here Upshaw stated that the
Crows as a tribe are very anxious to
have the treaty bill now before con-
gress enacted into law and said that
failure on the part of congress to
pass the bill at the present session
would mean more poverty for the In
dians. AS Upshaw expressed it, the
Crows will be eating the bodies OF
their own people if something for
their relief is not done shortly
The big irrigation canal which is
being constructed under the super
vision of the Indian bureau at Wash
ington and which the whites have
talked so much about in the neWspa-
pers," said Mr.. Upshaw, sis far from
completion and we have no idea when
this work will be done. 1t has been
under construction for seven or eight
years and apparently it is not half
done. Our tribal funds have gone into
the construction of that gigantic
piece of work and very few. OF the
Indians have the remotest idea of the
sum total of their moneys chat have
been expended in the construction OF
that ditch. OF course, l know that
over $4,000 has gone into the Big
Horn ditch and from all appearances
this generation of the Crow tribe
will never see any benefits of that
investment. Rich in lands as the
Crows are, many Of them are standing
at poverty's door. There is little or
no demand for what hay the Indians
can produce, excepting, of course, th,
sale of a few hundred IONS annually
for agency use.
What the Indians should demand
from the department at Washington
is that the government at once enter
into a contract with some responsible
white mar for the early completion
of the big ditch in tie valley of the
Big Horn intended to water the farm
ing lands of that valley. Under the
present policy the construction of the
ditch is in the hands OF a superin-
tendent appointed by the secretary OF
the interior. This superintendent re-
ceives an annual salary of $3.50. His
position is in the nature OF a soft
berth and the Indians who think for
themselves naturally believe that the
Superintendent will continue his job
as long as possible. Besides there are
a number of assistants to the superin-
tendent who come in as beneiciaries
OF this graft.
Some of us would like to go to
Washington and tell The Great Faith
err what we think of his irrigation
ditch construction and urge him to
accept our treaty for the sale of lands.
We would also like to tell him that
when we consented to set aside GER
tain tribal funds for the construction
Of certain bitches that the present
generation of Grow Indians expected
to receive some of the benefits of that
investment.
"Our rations have been gradually
reduced without the tribe being plac-
ed in a position to earn their own live
lihood. AS a matter of fact the ra-
ton is almost a thing of the past COM
pared with former days. Cutting
down the ration is all right, but we
should first be placed in a position
whereby our people could make mon
ey to supply their w necessities"
Big Lumber Deal.
~--1L,- T.. On Tho hin 1unhoP