Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-30
LANDS OF TIE INDIANS
APPROPRIATION BILL CARRIES
IMPORTANT LEGISLATION.
Recommendations Made by the Sena-
tors Who Visited the SJuth-
west Last Summer.

1t is estimated that the Indian appropria-
ton bill carries more general legislation Of
far-reaching effect than it has in many
years. 1t contains practically all of the
made by a special sub
committee of the Senate which visited Ok
1ahoma and Indian Territory during the sum-
mer investigating citizenship and property
rights of the Five Civilized Tribes. Chief
of these recommendations Is that ION and
after July / 1907, all restrictions upon the
alienation, leasing encumbering OF the
lands except homesteads, of all allottees OF
Indian blood in the Indian Territory, and
all restrictions upon the alienation, leasing
or encumbering of all lands Of allottees, not
of Indian blood are hereby removed
An equally extensive provision has been
adopted in relation to coal and asphalt
lands The surface Of the segregated lands
of the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations,
containing these deposits. whether leased or
Unbiased is to be appraised by board TO
be appointed by the Secretary or the IN
terror and approved by the President, ana
their value ascertained. When TINS mas
been done the surface of these lands may
be sold after six months notice or sucn
SALE in tracts of not more Ian l6O acres
to each purchaser. and at not less than
the appraised value. The sales are to De
made subject to the right of the purchaser
of mineral deposits to mine under the
lands in accordance with conditions drafted
nv the special committee which Investigated
the subject whose report already has been
published.
The Blackfeet Indian reservation in Mon
tana is to be opened to settlement II an
other Senate amendment is adopted Fro
vision Is made for the immediate survey
of all the lands embraced within the limits
of the reservation. The remainder OF the
lands are to be appraised In the usual man
accordance
with the general custom of throwing lnd!an
lands open to the public. An appropriation
is made also to enable the Secretary OF the
Interior to complete the survey, allotment,
classification and appraisement Of the lands
in the Flathead Indian reservation, Mon
tana.
Among other important amendments
made by the Senate committee are the Iol-
lowing:
White children may be admitted to any
day school and the tuition fee shall In no
case exceed the tuition fees allowed OF
charged by the state or county In "nlch
the school Is situated.
with a view to committing the perpetual
annuities, due Indian tribes under treaty
stipulations. the Indian commissioner is oi-
rected to send special lndlan agent 10
visit all tribes enjoying such relations with
the government.
The Secretary of the Interior is instructed
to ACQUIRE by purchase or condemnation
such land as he may deem necessary IN
constructing g. reservoir IOr Storins "otSi
for the purpose of irrigating lands on the
Fort Hall Indian reservation. Idaho.
Names of persons of Choctaw or ChlcKa-
saw Indian blood on the side of either par
emit now on the freedman roll are TO pc
transferred to the roll of citizens by blood
OF the Choctaw or Chickasaw nation, and
these persons will be permitted 10 partici-
pate in tribal rights as full bloods.
An appropriation of S215, 239 Is made to be
paid to the Mexican Kickapoo Indians, this
amount being the difference between thirty
two and a half cents an acre heretofore
paid to these Indians and the amount real
lied by the United States for their surplus
lands in Oklahoma. The Attorney General
of the United States is directed to invesu-
gate conveyances, purported to have been
executed in Mexico of lands In Oklahoma,
and If found to have been procured by
fraud to begin proceedings to have them
set aside He is also instructed to prose-
cute parties to the frauds, If any were
committed.
The bill contains the usual large number
of appropriations for the settlement OF
claims. which every year are inserted In
the measure by the House or the Senate
and eliminated when the measure is taken
under consideration.