Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-11-27

themselves In their deliberations covering
the selection Of their. business council II
appears, therefore. that not an acre Of the
i.eg enne river reservation lands has been
legally leased, nor has there been accepted
by the Indians any proposition by q ma
jOity vote to lease any Of their lands.
usually been disposed TO protect the rights
Of the Indians, in this instance a gross
CHEYENNE River Sioux. We fail to ind any
warrant Of law for his action. While the
federal supreme court decided IN the Lone
Wolf case that congress may abrogate an
Indian treaty or agreement, no authority
exists for an executive officer to violate
was done ia the present instance.
Results OF the Leasing.
As already shown, the Indians accepted
the protter Of the government In agree
Ing 10 tho act Of congress OF 1SS9 with it's
promise Of fostering the cattle Industry
and many members OF the tribe were self
supporting through the revenue derived
the unjust restrictions now suffered by the
tribe have almost ruined this industry. The
head OF tamliy IS permitted to have 100
mead OF stock I'm the leased pasture sur
rounding his home. For all excess stock
ne Is compelled to accede to any sharp
bargain the lessee may insist upon. the
alternative being to dispose of his surplus
stock the best way possible. and 1t usually
res Hts in running the Indian herd. The
lcssees, and appeals to him from the
Indians 20 unheeded. He has posted writ
ton, warning the Indians that they ARE
prohibited from rounding up stock at any
time" without his permission or that OF
the white lessee, on pain of arrest by pO-
licemen and being brought perhaps $50
miles to the agency and being ''liable to
hal the desired effect. Indians, naturally
timid. feared to look after their cattle in
the pastures and they have been scattered
market by the lessee without the Indians
knowledge' and the proceeds not accounted
well, being run down by the lessee's steers,
resulting In a decreased number OF calves
the latter being largely lQst-known as
''mavericks"-by reason of the Indians not
being permitted to look after them, as
The Indian agent has discouraged many
persons from opening stores and prohibited
others which has resulted i'm practical
monopoly In trading. During the time of
my visit to the agency potatoes were sold
by one store at the agency at cents per
pound (perhaps y per busheD; Just across
the river, outside the reservation dho
stores one mile apart, the price for the
same grade Of potatoes was rs to 30 cents
! per bushel
have shown the decentralization result
ing from the illegal leasing of the land.
| The Ipdlans are suffering from additional
| evils Of administration, concomitant, how
! erty I'm the dance, which was not prac-
| ticcd for eleven years previous to the
! present agents incumbency, has been re-
1 Yived, the result being most disastrous
| In breaking down individual incentive 60
! independence. A low moral tone is prev
| alent the Indians, naturally, not respect
| ing the authority of those who themselves
use intoNicants and seemingly approve
| such habits In others.
| The friends OF the Cheyenne river Indians
| feel that they have refrigerated by reason
| of the present administration OF tina
| agency and lost the advancement gained
| in ten or twelve years of former effor
! for the betterment of the conditions amonl
| these Indians. The future welfare of thu
| tribe depends largely upon the nature 81
| reforms instituted as a result of the pend
! ing investigation. S. II. BROSIUS,
| Agent Indian Rights Association.