The Tomahawk., 1903-06-25
ARBITRARY !!
: REFLECTIONS.
Such are the Acts of the Indian office In
Gases Of Applications for
Enrolment.

One of the most upjustitiable
and arbitrary acts Of the Indian
office at Washington, is the man
ner in which it rejects the app]ica-
tions of members of the the Chip
pewa bands.of Minnesota for en-
rollment under the provisions OF
the act Of 1889, commonly called
the Nelson Act, and WHO were in
adveftantly and otherwise omitted
from the eesus rolls of the Chip
pewas by the Chippewa Ganmis-
sion.
Evidence which would ordinari
ly be accepted in any court to sus-
tain an action. is very rarely
deemed Sufficient by the Office to
cause the enrolment of an appli-
cant for Indian rights. Besides
this, the most absurd and frivo-
lous objections are raised as fast
as others are overcome, and in
this way the applicant is finally
discouraged and compelled to
abandon his claims, and if he re-
mains on any of the reservations,
is compelled to seek a home with
relatives or friends. Whenever
an Indian puts up strong fight in
his attempts to have his claims
recognized, he is more apt to be
arbitrarily turned down by the
officials than he would be if he
used political measures, regardless
|'of the laws and the facts which he
has submitted in support of these
clainas.
1t has frequently occurred that a
member of an Indian family that
is carried on the rolls, has been
denied the right which his broth
ers and sisters enjoy. Under
what law such a distinction can
be made is a mystery to those who
have observed these things,
One case of this kind came un-
der our personal observation. The
brothers and sisters of the appli-
can't for enrolment had always
been enrolled. and before she got
married and lett the Indian coun-
try with her husband slae was also
carried On the rolls, and this was
clearly established to the satisfac-
ton of the Chippewa Commission;
but the Indian Offices rejection of
her claims was based on the as
sumption that she would not re-
move to this reservation and take
up permanent residence here.
This ruling was in direct opposi-
ton to existing laws which pro-
vide that an Indian may take up
his residence seperate and apart
from his tribe, without losing his
distributive share of the annuities
and lands of his tribe.
The worst feature of the Indian
Offices actions are in relation to
persons who are carried on the
rolls: it frequently arbitrarily
strikes them off of these rolls.
The laws do not give the officials
of that office the authority to do
this, and, as it is bad precedent,
some steps should be taken by the
Chippewas to prevent it's reoc-
curance.
The ToMAHAwK is quite satisfied
that if Commissioner Jones and
Major Laoabee, chief of the lands
division of the Indian Office, would
give their personal attention to the
cases of the applicants for enroll
ment on Chippewa rolls, instead
of relying entirely as they I'M
doubtedly do upon their subordin-
ate who has charge of these mat
tiers, and whose initials appear as
O. NJ. NJ. on all the unjust rul-
ings, there might be more justice
and liberality displayed towards
these applicants t h an S n 0 W
shown, and there would probably
not be so many annuitants arbitra-
riIy stricken from the rolls in the