The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-27
INDIAN LANDS ON THE RED LAKE TO BE SOLD

Diminished Reservation of the Chip
pewas Has Over 600, 900 Acres Mag
nificently Studded with White and
Norway Pine-Indtans Have Good
Schools and Many of Them Are
Willing NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of the
Marriage Relations and Love of
Drink Still Holding Them Back
The passage OF the Stevenson bill to
permit the public sale Of Indian lands on
the Red Lake Indian reservation has
drawn special attention to the Chippewas
living on these lands and their state Of
civilization. Red Lake agency Is a sub
agency Of the Leech Lake agency of which
Major G. Z. Scott Of the Tenth United
States cavalry is acting Indian agent
state Of civilization among these Indians,
SURPRISING those at Leech Lake or else
where on the Chippewa reservation, Their
school Is in good condition and has been
recently improved. The kindergarten class
is one Of the finest among Indian schools.
There Is some pine land and some very
choice agricultural lands which will be
eagerly purchased. ut
Many CT Them Good Workers..
The population Is 1887, consisting of 674
males and 665 females and these wear
citizen clothes. having cast off the blanket.
There are 210 Indians who can read and
ESQ can converse sufficiently In English to
! make themselves understood. There are
! 425 children Of school age. Fifty-seven
! per cent Of the Indians obtain living by
civilized pursuits About 80 per cent live
/ by fishing, hunting and root gathering.
These Chippewas> cultivated 400 acres of
land and put under fence 2,70O acres. They
grew 1,5O0 bushels Of potatoes and gath
cred 1.600 tons of hay. They own 126
horses. 80 head of cattle, 200 swine, and
600 fowls.
The freight hauled by their own teams
was 319,097 pounds. the amount earned
being s3.117. They sold the government
There are three church buildings with
three Catholic missionaries and one Epis-
copal. There are 200 baptized Indians.
who are also communicate, and sixty
seven baptized only. The money spent
for education was 4eOO and for church
work $3.50. The actual birth rate Is above
the death rate, showing that the Chip
pewas are not decreasing in numbers.
Obstacle to Progress.
i The most serious obstacle to the COM
i plete civilization of the Chippewa Is the
total disregard of the rules and regula-
lions and customs of civilized people per-
4 tanning to the marriage relation. The
record Of only one legal marriage last year
i can be found.
j Indians follow the bottle as dog fol-
l lows. his master. You can hear their old
war songs in all their hideousness when
they have secured liquor. President
{ Roosevelt recently upheld Major. Scott by
refusing to pardon white man for sell
. ing liquor to Indians.
!. It Is an inspiration to visit the govern
, ment home for INDECENT, crippled and
sickly Indians at the old agency at Oni-
gum. It is managed by a competent
matron, an Indian cook and laundress, and
these poor helpless Indians are; we'll fed
and clothed by the Indian service.
). The Red Lake diminished reservation
consists Of over 100000 acres in the north
western part of Minnesota, most Of which
4 is covered with magnificent white pine
3 and Norway trees. Most of the timber is
: accessible by streams which lead to Red
: lake.
School Conducted by Indians.
There are two large schools on the res.
ervation. The Red Lake school is fitted
, with steam heat and lighted with gas
: The other school is on point which near
: Iy separates upper Red lake from lower
E Red lake. This is called the Cross Lake
: school. The history connected with the
building of this school is interesting. The
Indians had agreed that it should be built
, there and yet when the materials were
] brought and the contractors arrived they
came In numbers and notified the con-
+ tractors to leave. There was no mistak-
9 ing their attitude and the contractors
q left.
This was in the fall of 1899. Captain
], Mercer, who was then the agent for the
iLeech Lake agency, proceeded to the