The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-08

Babines that they must discontinue at
once the use of the weir In fishing.
When received this communication
paid no attention to 1t, being per-
suaded that the people were unneces-
sarily alarmed. Some time later I re-
cetved second letter from the chiefs
repeating the statements contained In
the former. Again passed the mat
ter by. Finally noticed the item in
the Free Press, stating that there was
open conflict between the officers Of
the law and the Babines and that a
request had been made for the SER
vices of one hundred men, to compel
the Indians to obey the law. I wrote
then to a good friend of mine In Brit
ish Columbia. and found that the
statements of the Indians were only
too true.
II have today mailed communica-
tions to all the newspapers Of British
Columbia, calling attention to the
great injustice being done to the In
tltans. asking for redress and stating
the facts as am stating them to you.
l also mailed copy of the letter to
the commissioner of Indian affairs In
Ottawa.
THE great injustice of the situation
consists in this fact that the Canadian
government has no treaty with these
people. What right can the govern
ment have to interfere with the rights
which the original inhabitants Of the
country have enjoyed from the begin
ming of time? If the Canadian people
desire to interfere in the domestic
affairs of the Babines, let them ap-
proach them through representatives
in the regular way and make the
treaty with them.
ut would be exceedingly costly to
send an armed force to the Babine
and Carrier Indians and what Is more
important, the Indians are in the right
in the matter. 1t is matter Of life
and death to them, and If the govern
ment wishes them to do otherwise, 1t
must make some arrangement with
them"
Being asked whether the new rail-
ways would affect the part of the pro-
vince with which he had been so prom
inently identified, Father Morice at
once stated that the G. N. R. would
pass through the centre of the dis
trict and that the c. P. r. would build
branch into it.
Can anything be grown up in that
country?" queried the reporter.
Yes. Much can be grown. We can
grow very fine potatoes, and excel
lent vegetables of all sorts. The gov
eminent Of the province is now en-
,deavoring to direct immigration into
the Buckley valley, large and fer
tile district in our part of the province.
The mountain scenery of the district
is indiscribably beautiful. The In
dians are natural mountain climbers,
moving about the towering rocks with
all the agility Of the mountain goats.
made many ascents Of the highest
points under the guidance Of the In
dians, who drew me up with a rope
at points where l could not make the
ascent unaided. I also made many
very long journeys in the country, in
the interests of science, doing work
especially in ethnology, anthropology
and in geography. have now in
course of preparation an entirely new
map of the country on the scale of
miles to the inch. This map is being
brought out in B. c., and will contain
much information whichy is entirel
new"
Father Morice is a missionary au-
thor and has written a history of
northern British Columbia which has
been highly spoken of by the review
ers, and which contains an interest
ing story of the old days. He will