The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-11-10

best to place the Indians on some
self-supporting basis and has over
looked much that he could have
made, to say the least, unpleasant for
the perpetrators, I think it no more
than right to let, not only the public,
but the department under which he
serves, know the actual state of
things on the Blackfeet reservation
at the present time.
The Blackfeet reservation com.
prises about 200 souls, one-third of
being full blood Indians There is
certain element among the mixed
blood, | am glad to say few in num-
ber-you may count them on your
five tingers-some fairly we'll educat-
ed women, married to white men, who
have raised families; their husbands
being dead remarry with their own
tribe. There are also one or two men
in the same category. Now, these
people with a small education are
never satisfied. Should the Angel
Gabriel come down and act as agent
for the Blackfeet they would still
find fault. These poor people, if you
ask them what their grievances are,
they really do not know, but in
vague way will tell you that the In
dams drink, gambling goes on, and
other general charges. Charges were
made to the Indian department. an
inspector sent, and they We're asked
if they had any complaints. They
all say no; but a few weeks elapse
and the papers TEEN with charges
against the Indian agent, such as the
article that appeared in the Great
Falls Tribune not long ago, being an
interview with Miss Helen P. Clarke.
Now, from my own knowledge, not
one solitary statement in that article
is based on facts.
Miss Helen p. Clarke belongs to
the Blackfeet reservation, something
does not suit her, she talks freely
with reporter and it is blazoned all
through the press that the Blackfeet
reservation is in very bad condition.
Poor Miss Clarke, or her brother
Horace, or her friend Mrs. Kipp, late
Mrs Wetzel; they have great grie
vances, but what are they? Not one
single Indian on the reservation gives
them authority to speak for him.
They make great howl over the
recent murders on the reservation,
committed BY a drunken Indian, try
ing to make he public believe that
this is owing D bad administration.
Such a thing as this will now and
then take place on any Indian reserve
and cannot be foreseen. The reser
walton is a large one and extends east
far enough to almost touch the town
of Cut Bank, where liquor can be
bought by The Indians.
Until the penalty for the crime of
selling liquor to Indians is made so
severe that no man will sell an In
dian liquor, drunken Indians will be
found on the reservation, and a
drunken Indian is a fiend
Now, to draw this long article to a
close, I will tell you how the situa-
ton is today on the reserve, which
has been shown in the last few
months in the public press as being
in a state of disorder and anarchy
The Indians are trying their best to
learn farming and most certainly are
trying to work and learn to be self
supporting. They are encouraged
by the agent in this direction to the
hest Of his ability. The present
AGENT, Mr.. Monteath, has been untir-
ing since he has been here to help
the Indians forward, and has DONE l
consider, more toward that end than
anv a9ant in the last 10 years. He
has much to contend with in the trou-
hle caused NV the agitators on the
reservation. who do nothing them
selves. and being half educated can
write letter of complaint to the de-
partment or to the newspapers. When
Won ask them what they want. they
can not tell you. but they are natural
horn kickers and will always be So
An agent, therefore, has a hard row
! to hoe On the Blackfeet reserve. If
he is kind and does his best to help
out the Indians, they take advantage
of this kindness, and l must say that
the present agent is most foTbearing.
A few weeks On the agency woodpile
would be a good and useful lesson to
these agitators, and hope to see that
lesson given them. The Indian de-
par+sment itself must eventually get
tired Of the endless complaining. as
they must perfectly we'll know from
where il emanates. However, agent
after agent comes and goes. which
must be a detriment to the advance
mant OF the Indians. They are doing
we'll the agency is in good running
order. and we'll looked after. The