Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1903-07-30
MONEY FOR INDIANS.
Government to Pay for Kansas Land
Granted to Settlers.
Nearly Two Million Dollars to BE Di-
vided Among 5000 Red Men of
the Six Nations in New
York state.

The interior department., through
Indian Commissioner Jones. is making
preparations to pay $l,99S, 744 to the
Six Nations Indians of New York state,
awarded to them by congress three
years. ago, as the result of their ia
nous Kansas land claim against the
United States government. The In
dams who will receive the money num-
Der about 5000 ard are Included in the
Onondagas, Oneidas, Cayugas, Senecas
st. Regis, Tuscaroras, Stock bridges
Musees 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 story of the Six Nations claim
against the government is interesting
and shows another attempt of the
white man to cheat the redskin out OF
what was rightfully his. Several his
value figure in the case.
One of the documents is a shee pskir
parchment, dated 1898, and signed
"knox, Secretary of War This paper
was issued during Washington's ad-
ministration. The paper is addressed
"To the Sachems Chiefs and Warriors
of the Six Nations" and is request
from the government for the Indians
to hold convention and sign a 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 to the western
boundaries Of the infant republic.
The second document is dated "Wa,
Department. May IA, 179S," and i!
signed "Joseph W. Henry, Secretary
Of War" 1t is a statement from Uncle
Sam, showing that the sum Of 100000
had been received on deposit from the
Six Nations al the United States treas.
ury. Both Of these papers are orig.
inals and very valuable. The 100000
referred to is the sum received by the
Ind ans from Robert Morris. the Phila.
delp2ia c@Titalist, for 5.oo0,0o0 acre:
of tha 1ic, 22t land in New York state
In 1897, when Morris bought the land
he paid for it at the rate of two cents
an acre
The Kansas claim originated in 1888.
although nothing was heard of it at
that time. In that year the New York
Indians decided to move west and pur-
chased 100000 acres of land in Wiscon-
sin. For some reason they did not
make the trip and the same year the
Indians traded the land in Wisconsin
to the government for 1924, 900 acres
of land IN Kansas.
A project to settle on this land also
fell through, and the Indians did not
go to Kansas. In 1860, when the pOr-
ton of Kansas where the land lay was
opened for settlement, white men took
up the Indians land and in 1878 con
gress passed law to sell the Indians
land in Kansas to white settlers, il
spite of the fact that 40 years before
they had given this land to the Indians
After 90 years of constant efforts con
yress in 1900 passed the law authoriz
ng the payment of nearly S2,0OO,0N
FOR the land in dispute.
The Six Nations, now numbering
about 5000, still retain $4,000 acres IL
the richest part Of New York state
They are wealthy and Industrious, an6
have in the United States treasury
arre sum of money. The 100000 OBJ
tanned from Robert Morris in 1897 Is
still untouched and to that has beer
added by various sales of land sums
which have made the total nearly $780,
900, on which the Indians annually
draw interest.