The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-07
.LEUPP IS GOING.
TO WHITE EARTH.
INDIAN COMMISSIONER WILL IN
VEsTIGATE ALLoTMENTs.
Protest Resulted In Annulment Of the
Allotmenrs Made Last April, and
Large Element Now Protests Against
the Annulment - Committee States
Their Position and Recites Story.

Francis E. Leupp, commissioner Of In
dian affairs, is coming out from Wash
lngton to make personal investigation
OF the trouble at White Earth reserva-
tlon: Allotments were made last April
under the Stevenson act to all Indians
on the reservation, but after the selec-
ton was made, many of the full-blood
Indians made complaint that they had
not received as valuable tracts as others,
who got some good timber land. On ac-
count of this complaint, Mr.. Leupp has
given an order to annul the allotments
fore the manner Of this is decided on he
will meet personally with the Indians
and hear their complaints. ..E. g..
B.. l.. Fairbanks and Gus Beaulieu
were appointed a committee by the
council of Indians opposed to annulling
the allotments, and started for Wash
ington to make the protest. Arriving
sloner Leupp's decision to come west,
and SO went no farther. Before return.
ing to the reservation they prepared
the following statement for e ur-
al: !.
Under the treaty of 1857, between the
United States and the Chippewa Indians
of the Mississippi, each Indian was en-
| titled to an allotment of 100 acres Of land
| If he improved forty acres. IT,.
The commission which negotiated the
act Of 1889, commonly known as the Nell
| son act, agreed with the Mississippi
Ch1ppewas that they would each receive
$50 acres as allotments if they would
assent to the act regardless Of the i'm
provement conditions of the treaty of
1867. Subsequently the interior depart
ment, altho it had recommended the ap-
proval by the president of the agreement,
1 held that the allotments Of 100 acres
could not be given without an act Of con-
gress authorizing it. Therefore only
eighty acres each was allotted to the In
| dams under the Nelson act. The neces-
sary legislation was finally secured In the
| Stevenson act of last year, which au-
thorized the allotting of an additional
eighty acres Of land to each Indian re-
siding on the White Earth reservation.
Last March Agent Michelet was au-
thorized to make the additional allot-
n1ents provided for by the STEVENSON
act. Due notice was given by the In
dian agent and he commenced to allot
| on April "a, last. On Sunday morning,
April %, at 8 am, a line was formed by
mixed bloods in front Of the agency office
! and remained there until the following
morning, the, number of persons form
ing the line kept increasing until there
| were several hundred in the line.
Made a Compromise.
The fullbloods refused to get into the
line on the ground that 1t should not have
been formed until the oath, the day or
| which the agent announced that the al
lotment Of lands would be commenced
AS a compromise the fullbloods we're al
lowed to form another line opposite that
Of the mixedbloods, so that fullblood
and mixedblood would be allotted lands
alternately. This concession by the
mixedbloods gave the fullbloods an ad.
vantage over persons who had kept theil
places in line for over twenty four hours
/ The fullbloOds, however, with some ex
ceptions, we're not prepared with the de
scriptions of the lands on the reservation
having disregarded the advice of thu
agent and others to go and look over the
, lands they wished to secure as allOt
ments. and were compelled to rely OF
the government farmer who had ex
2 amined them with one or two assistants
l and under the agents instructions, fur
} nished these fullbloods with the descrip
ton of good tracts of land.
. There was q preference shown by tn,
allottees in favor of securing timber allot
9 ments. Many of the fullbloods. who hat
disregarded the advice given them to g.
t and examine the lands with the view o
, securing them as allotments, found faul
s with their allotments afterwards, becaus
they were not as valuable as others ant
t made complaints to the commissioner O
Indian affairs, which resulted In an orde
y annulling all the allotments and instruc
9 tons to the agent to reallot them with tn
: assistance of Special Agent Downs.
e e Fullbloods Got More Timber.
d When it is taken into consideration tina
: the records Of the agency show that
r per cent of the fullbloods to 3S per cen
: of the mixed bloods had received timbe
n allotments the former could not hay
- Jared so badly.
= Under the allotments made under tn
d Nelson act, not half a dozen mixed blood
secured pine allotments, while severs
: townships of pine lands were taken b
3. the fullbloods, many Of whom sold thei
e timber last winter for big prices. p,
l. In his instructions to the agent. tn
a commissioner of Indian affairs has d.
'e rected that, in order to equalize as muc
10 as possible the value Of the allotments t
be made, the tracts be divided int
twenty-acre lots If necessary and allotte
to the Indians. This plan is not feasib
and would destroy the value of the Ian
or timber for any purpose whatever, an
would cause unlimited dissension anon
T allottees. Besides this, no reputable lun
Der company would care to buy timbe
n which, by reason of being owned by {
u many persons who could not be dea
with satisfactorily, might cause the
endless trouble and litigation.
IL A large majority Of the full and mike
Ia blood a1lottees at White Earth are OF
l. posed to the annulment of their allo
s. ments. and will undoubtedly appeal to tt
}; courts If they can get no relief fro
n Commissioner Leupp, who will reach tt