The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1907-02-08
The BLACKFEET OPENING
What is Being Done in Washington. Id. G..
BY Our Senators and Representa-
tive. A Complete Resume
of the Matter. y
Written for The Herald.

Written for
Copies Of the bill to open the Black
feet Indian reservation recently intro
duced in the United States senate by
Senator w. A. Clark Of Montana have
been received in this city and in some
respects differ from the bill of like
character introduced in the house of
representatives by United States SEN
ator-elect Joseph M. Dixon. The Clark
bill, according to telegraphic advices
from Washington, has been agreed up
on by the Montana senators. Recent
telegraphic advices also state that the
Clark bill has been amended by the
senate committee SO as to include one
of the provisions Of the Dixon bill and
in this shape has been reported favor
ably by the committee to the senate.
1t is stated that in this shape the bill
is expected to soon pass the latter
body.
The first clauses Of the Dixon and
Clark bill are practically identical in
language. In fact they do not ma
terially dIverge until that portion of
the bill is reached which refers to the
amount of acreage to be allotted to the
Indians and the manner of disposing
of water rights.
The Dixon bill provides that each
Indian of head of family shall be al
loted eighty acres OF irrigable land and
two hundred and forty acres of ad-
ditional land valuable only for grazing
purposes. Or, at the option of the al
lOttee, the entire three hundred and
twenty acres may be taken in land val
liable only for grazing purposes; ana
to each person under eighteen years
Of age, one half Of such acreage, res
pectively.
The Clark bill differentiates in this
respect by recognizing no difference
between the adult and minor in amount
of acreage 70 be allotted, but reduces
the total acreage to be allotted by
allowing to each member having tribal
rights or holding tribal relations and
who may rightfully belong on said re-
servation, forty acres Of irrigable land
and two hundred and forty acres of
additional land valuable onlyfor graz
ing purposes; Or, at the option of the
allottee, the entire two hundred and
eighty acres may be taken in land val
liable only for grazing purposes, res
pectively.
The clauses of the two bills re-
garding water rights on the Blackfeet
reservation differentiates still more
widely.
Under the Dixon billtthere is auto
matically reserved and appropriated
for the ''irrigable lands allotted suf-
ficient water to irrigate said irrig-
able lands and that the United States
shall and does hold said appropri-
alton in trust as appurtenant to the
lands SO allotted for the trust period
named in the patent to be issued The
phraseology of the Clark bill on this
much Of the water question is the
same, except that reserved waters
is used in place OF appropriation" in
all cases where these terms appear.
The Dixon bill, continuing on this
point, provides: That such re:erv
alton ard trust shall only apply to
such waters as may be actually and
necessarily appropriated for the ir
rigable portions of Indian allotments
within two years from the date of
approval by the Commissioner of
Indian Affairs Of all the allotments OF
land made to said Indians; and pro-
vided further;
THAT subject to the foregoing pro
visions, all water rights and pElvl-
leges on or connected with streams
within or adjoining said reservation
shall be subject to the laws OF the
State of Montana"
Then follows in the Dixon bill an
appropriation of two hundred thous-
and dollars by the government (Wnlch
is to be reimbursed from the sale OF
the reservation lands) with which to
construct irrigation canals and ditch
es for the s'irrigable lands 50 allotted
to the Indians
The Clark bill. on the other hand,
places no time limit on the appropri-
alton Of waters for the Indians as
does the Dixon bill with its two years
clause, but, rather, makes such ap-