The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-05-24
SIOUX INDIANS ARE
TAKING ALL0TMENTS
They Drop Old Prejud'ces arc
Ask for Best Land OBJ
tainable.
LAND OWNERS CAN VOTE
Indians Who Have Taken Their Allot
ments Have Full Citizenship Priv
ileges, Including the Buying
of Liquor.

Deadwood, S. D, May 22-Majol
Kelly, the Indian agent at Rosebud,
and Colonel John H. Brennan, agent
at Pine Ridge, have been in the city
attending United States court II give
some interesting facts regarding ms
working of the allotment laws on then
reservations.
The Indians who offered the creates;
opposition to this law AT first are COM
ing into inc at last and taking theiT
own individual a~Ilotnlents. OF
Rosebud, Old Grow Dog, one OF the
best known Indians in the west, Whoss
famous trial for the murder Of Spotted
Tail has not been forgotten, has al
last announced his intention Of taking
his allotment. For years he has fought
this movement. He thought that allot-
ting lands 10 the individual Indians
SaVored TOO much OF the habits Il II
toms Of the white man, and he atar
nouuced boldly that he would kill amy
Indian who V%uJured to take adVan-
tage of the allotment LAW.
All the Indians on the Rosebud witt
the exception Of about ninety haV6
taken their allotHgents, n : number
of those who were h~alf-hsa-Ied at NTst
are now requesting 10 have their allot-
rnents changed SO hat they nay haV
better land. One feature that is es-
pocially attractive 10 them is the fact
thai when a man takes his allotment
the government gives lin . team, Q
wagon, two cows, & pillow, q harrow
hoops and a cover for the wagon and
$50 cash. This accumulation OF small
valuableS looms up very large in the
Indians eye.
One interesting thing in connection
With this which is not realized by most
people is that when the Indian has uce
taken his allotment he becomes a citi-
zen OF the United States with the right
10 vote. Many Indians have been VOt-
ing in Gregory and Charles Mix u
Ties for some time, and il has not beer
Ell unusual sight to see Indian dele
gates at the state conventions.
One accomplishment OF his law that
IS Q undesirable is the fact that
wheo the Indian becomes a citizen OF
Z United States he has a right to
purchase liquor. AS the Indian seems
more susceptible 10 the action OF
whisky than are nos white men this
provision is much to be regretted. The
ooa circumstance that has so far pre-
rented this from becoming a ena is
me fact that the liquor dealer is often
unable 10 tell whether the Indian has
-asa2 his allotment or not and hence
Is afraid TO sell TO him, for if by chance
ne should happen to. sell to a red man
VITO has not yet taken his allotment
the dealer would Of course become
liable With the land allotment pro-
visions the wealth of the Individual IN
G1aEls IS increasing. Although citizens
Of n United States they are yet wards
o. the government, which looks after
their money interests with a keen eye.
They are not permitted to sell thei1
land for twenty-five years, and when
an Indian dies the estate which he
leaves is administered by the govern
rnent. The heirs of his estate are al.
lowed to draw each $40 a month from
their legacy and If they desire to make
purchases of land or cattle the agents
may approve their checks for the re-
quired sums. Individual Indians have
given their checks for as high as $l.OOO
and have had them honored.
The first of June 5000 cattle will be
distributed among the Indians on the
Rosebud in accordance with the Greg
ory county treaty of 1901.