New-York tribune., 1903-04-07
HOW INDIANS VIEW 1T.
Chiefs 1cith Gr7eUdnces at Wdsh-
ingtOn

Washington April 6 (SpeciaD.-"The little Of
ficers of the Great White Father make 1t hard
fer the Indians The lazy Indian and the bad.
white man get all the best" This is the IN
dctment of the Indian Bureau as made to a
representative of The Tribune to-day by old
Chariot, the head chief of the Flathead Indians
of Montana. Chief Chariot of the F'latheads,
koostata of the Kootenais, and Charley Mi
chelle Of the Pend d'Orees, accompanied by
Indian judges and interpreters, have come to
Washington with the hope of securing from the
Great White Father remedy for several in
juries which they allege have been done 10
them through the arbitrary policy pursued py
the Indian Bureau.
As explained by the interpreter of the dele
CATION, the Indian Bureau has determined to
assess tax of 81 head on all cattle owned
by the Indians In excess of one hundred head
to a man, and a further tax of 80 cents a head
is to be assessed their ponies. According TO
the Indians, the government has no right TO as
sess this tax The funds collected. they are
told. are devoted to the benefit Of the Indians,
but they say this is putting tax on laziness
and lack of thrift. The shiftess Indian has few
cattle: the hardworking, industrious member
of the tribe has many, and he is taxed Tor the
benefit of his shiftless brother. Moreover, ac-
cording to the treaty made between the fedora
ton of tribes, the Flatheads, Kootenais and
Pend d'Oreilles the government is pledged to
confer with the council of chiefs elected to
transact the business of the tribes before MAX
ing rulings not stipulated in the treaty. This,
they claim, has not been done, and arbitrary
rulings are constantly being made on the plea
that they are for the best interests of the
Indians, but without any accurate knowledge
of the facts
Another grievance of the Indians lies in the
fact that the bureau insists taxing the herd
of cattle belonging to the religious institution
which maintains the st. Ignatius School at the
postofTice of the same name the reservation.
Still another grievance has been brought to
the attention of the Great White Fathers
little officers" According to the chiefs now in
Washington white man, with liberal use
of the good things of this world, induced five
Indians. members of the tribe. to enter into
compact whereby a tract of ground was leased
to him for pasture purposes This tract, twelve
by six miles in area. is leased for a period OF
five years for rental OF S4O0. The lease was
made without the knowledge of the council of
the federation, which has sole authority to dl-
rect the affairs of the tribes, and yet the Ind
ian Bureau, it is claimed, insists that the con-
tract must be carried out. The Indians wish
to get rid of this unwelcome tenant, and Of all
other white tenants to many of whom grazing
privileges have been leased by the indian Bu-
reau for the benefit of the tribe
the young braves when they feel that they are
being imposed upon: when they see the Sioux
and other tribes that have made the Whlte
Father much trouble better treated than them
selves; and after many years Of peace he has
journeyed all the way to Washington that he
may present the facts and secure such justice
as will prevent all future conflict; and he adds,
naTvely, according 20 his interpreter, that the
ways of the Indian Office past understand
ing"
one of the incidents of the visit of Chief
Chariot to Washington might appropriately be
described as meeting of the East and the
West and the old chief and his retinue, in the
full glory Of their aboriginal costumes, called
upon the Most Rev. Diomede Falconio, the
PapaI Delegate, to whom they were presented
by Monsignor Marchette. the auditor of the
legation. To the delegate the old chief, through
an interpreter, made little speech. MY peo-
pie are all Catholic" he said They are all
good Christians and they have been faithful to
their religious duties. We feel grateful in be
ing permitted to address the representative of
the Holy Father. We have come to see the
Great Father in Washington, because our hearts
are heavy and filled with sorrow"
The delegate blessed them and cautioned them
against the violence to which they said the
Young bloods desired to resort. He assured
them that the Holy Father loved them and that
in time the Great Father in Washington would
right their wrongs; but they must have faith
and patience.