The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-05-24
SIOUX INDIANS ARE
TAKING ALLOTMENTS
They Drop Old Prejudiccs and
Ask for Best Land OBJ
tainable.
LAND OWNERS CAN VOTE
Indians Who Have Taken Their Aliot'
rnents Have Full Citizenship Priv
iieses, including the Buying
Of Liquor.

Dcadwood, =. ID. May s2.-MnJor
Kelly. the Indian agent ut Rosebud.
and Colonel John IA. Brennan. agent
at Pine Ridge. have been In the city
attending United States court and give
some interesting facts regarding the
working OF the allotment laws on their
reservations.
The Indians who offered the greatest
opposition TO this law nj first are com
ing into line at last and taking their
own individual allotments. over on
Rosebud. old Crow Dog, one OF the
best known Indians I'm the west. whose
famous trial for the murder OF Spotted
Tail has not been forgotten. mas at
last announced his intention of taking
his allotment. For years he has fought
this movement. lie thought that aliot-
ting lands To the individual Indians
savored too much OF the habits and Gus
toms OF the white man, and he an
nounced boldly that he would kill any
Indian who ventured To take advan-
tage OF the allotment law.
All the Indians on the Rosebud with
the exception OF about ninety have
taken their allotments. and "A number
OF those who were half-hearted at first
are now requesting To have their allot-
ments changed 80 that they may have
better land. One feature that II es-
pocinlly attractive TO them In the fact
that when "A man takes his allotment
the government gives him a team. n
wagon, two cows. plow. "A harrow.
hoops and n cover for the wagon aud
$50 cash. This accumulation OF small
yaluables looms up very large In the
Indians eye.
with this which In not realized by most
people IL that when the Indian has once
taken his allotment he becomes "a citi-
zen OF the United states with the right
To vote. Many Indians have been vot-
Ing In Gregory and Charles Mix coun-
ties for some time. and II has not been
an unusual sight To see Indian dele
gates at the state conventions.
One accomplishment of this Law thns
In most undesirable is the fact that
when the Indian becomes n citizen Of
the United States he has n right to
purchase liquor. As the Indian seems
more susceptible TO the action of
whisky than are most white men this
provision In much to be regretted. The
one circumstance that has so far pre-
vented this from becoming q menace n
the fact that the liquor dealer IL often
unable TO tell whether the Indian has
taken his allotment or not and hence
IN afraid TO sell to him. for II by chance
he should happen To sell To n red ma n
who has not yet taken his allotment
the dealer would Of course become
hape. WIN une hhu aliotfnent pro-
visions the wealth OF the individual In
dams In increasing. Although citizens
OF the United States they are yet wards
OF the government. which looks after
their money interests with keen eye.
They are not permitted TO sell their
land for twenty-five years, and when
an Indian dies the estate which ne
leaves is administered by the govern
ment. The heirs OF his estate are al.
lowed 10 draw each $40 n month from.
their legacy and II they desire TO make
purchases OF land or cattle the agents
may approve their checks for the re-
duired sums. Individual Indians have
given their checks for as high as 81, 800
and have had them honored.
The first OF June 5000 cattle viii be
distributed among the Indians on the
Rosebud In accordance with the Greg.
DRY county treaty OF 1901.