The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-04-20
SIOUX WANT MONEY
Santee indians Seek to Recov-
er the Annuities Due.
ECHO OF NEW ULM FIGHT
Story Of the Uprising That Occurred
Forty.five Years Ago Recited;
The Claims Due.
From TUESDAYS Daily.

ed States senate. at the instance of
Ralph W. Breckenridge of Omaha as at
tornev for the remnant of the band OF
Santee Sioux Indians, looking to the re
storation of the annuities to these In
dams declared forfeited as a result of
the Minnesota Indian masacres of 1862.
The bill has been recommended for pas
sage. The Santees of Nebraska now com
prise about 1000 members, and the
amount of annuities due them in this
state alone will exceed $l,000,000, says
The Omaha Bee.
A very interesting story lies back oil
this bill. which in itself is a plea fol
Justice and the restoration of the abrO-
gated treaties of the United States with
the Medawakanton and Wahpakoota
bands of Sioux Indians, otherwise known
as the Santee Sioux. These Origina
treaties covered period of several
years, beginning as early as 1915 ant
was continued in various forms dOwI
to 1885, when the MedawakantOn Sioux
ceded to the United States all their lane
east of the Mississippi river and all thei
islands in that river, for which the Unit.
ed States agreed to pay interest at the
rate of 5 per cent per annum on S3OO,OOo
forever, besides certain other payments
largely i'm the nature of brides and pres
ents to the relatives or friends of the
chief and braves, and to those who had
signed the treaties.
By this treaty of 1887 the United
States acquired territory from the In
dian proprietors to a tract of land
pi river for about 100 miles and an aver
age width of fifty miles, 5000 square
miles or 100000 acres, for which it was
agreed to pay the interest on 10 cents
per acre, besides brides and presents
The government has never paid the
100000 and stopped paying the interest
over forty years ago. The particular
Indians to which the government is thus
indebted were the "Issanti" (Santee)
Sioux. The next treaty made with the
Issantis was in August, 1851, whereby
they relnquished all their lands and all
right and title thereto whatever in the
territory of Minnesota or state of Iowa
The same year treaty was also made
with the Sioux of the Sisseton and
Wahpeton bands, and through these two
treaties domain of 5O,S75 square miles
or 32,560OO0 acres was acquired by the
United States, of which l4,2300O0 acres
was the country of the Issantis, and for
which they were to receive 10 cents per
acre. or rather the interest on that sum
for fifty years. These lands were sub
sequently sold to settlers at $l.25 pei
acre, and the government made clean
$40,600,000 out of the deal with its
wards, who could neither read or write.
Another article of this treaty reserved
to the Issantis for their future home and
occupancy a tract of 100000 acres neal
the present city of Mankato, Mimi, but
the senate struck out that article, and in
lieu of those lands inserted a stipulation
to pay for them at the rate of 10 cents
per acre, and an appropriation was made
to make this requisite payment, amount
ing to $4,000, which was added to the
original principal of $l,l6O,OOO provided
by the treaty, thus producing an increas
ed income of $3.50, making the total
annual income to these Indians of SOL
$50.
The Santees were not removed from
their ancestral domain as was contem
plated by the treaty of 1851 and by act
of congress of July 81, 1854, the presi-
dent was authorized to confirm to the
Sioux of Minnesota forever the reserve
on the Minnesota river occupied by
them, and in 1853 so much of the land
held and possessed by the Indians south
of the Minnesota river was to consti-
tute their reservation. The Santees
agreed to let the senate decide whether
they had legal title to this reservation
and if so, how much and under what
conditions they should be paid for that
part of the reservation lying on the
north side of the Minnesota river.
A resolution was adopted by the sen
ate on June 27, 1860, stating that the
Indians had just and valid right to tho
reservations described, and that they bt
allowed 30 cents per acre for the lands
contained in that portion north of the
Minnesota river, exclusive of the cost o.
survey and sale or any contingent ex.
pense that may accrue whatever, which
bv the treaties of June. 1858. they have
reinquished and given up to the United
States. By this arrangement the San
tees were left the undisputed owner:
of the remainder of the land which con
tanned $4,000 acres.
In 1876 Iowa was admitted to the
union as a state, and Minnesota il
1883. A rapid transformation scene was