Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-10-12
PLANS TO AID THE INDIANS
Department Would Make Them Self
Sustaining and Independent.
MEANS MUCH FOR WHITES ALSO
Number of Cases on the Docket of the
supreme Court of Interest to
Nebraska and other Sec
tiOns of the West.
(From a staff Correspondent.)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11.-(Special Tele-
m.)-Fred II. Abbott, assistant commits
soner Of Indian affairs has returned to
washington after an absence Of some thirty
days, during which time he visited Off
cially the Winnebago and Omaha reserva-
tions In Nebraska. The main idea of the
Indian bureau > TO devise some plan
whereby the Omahas and Winnebagoes
shall have instilled into them an independ-
ence which viii ultimately make them self
supporting and capable OF farming and
managing their own allotments. Many OF
the Indians now upon these reservations,
Mr.. Abbott finds, are thoroughly competent
to manage their own affairs in every par
ticular and under all conditions and he will
urge this view upon the secretary of the
interior and upon the commissioner when
they make their annual report to congress.
II appears that while the people in Thurs
ton county are being taxed most heavily to
bear the burdens of county government,
the Indians in this county, as yet not own
| ing their property in fee, pay no taxes on
realty, being stin the wards of the nation.
The Indian bureau is now engaged through
it's agents in endeavoring to devise some
means for relief from oppressive taxation
which the white citizens of Thurston county
now carry.
THE Indian bureau" said Assistant Com
missioner Abbott, ''is now seeking some
means whereby the great burden OF debt
annually paid by the white settlers in
Thurston county may be relieved. We have
several projects in contemplation, all with
view of aiding the Indian to work his
own land, become an Independent American
citizen and aid, through his individual ef.
forts, to bear his burden Of taxation for the
! mi nj ~
other necessary county improvements. The
white citizens of Thurston county in every
instance showed great interest In our pro-
posed work and expressed desire to CO.
! operate with the department in every par.
| ticular.
Recommendations of the Bureau.
There are two recommendations which
the commissioner OF Indian affairs has
practically decided to ask the sanction
Of congress in regard to the winnebagoes
and Omahas and those are that all sec
tional lines between the reservations and
state lines be opened to the building OF
good roads. A further recommendation
will be made to congress that the bulk OF
the trust fund now held by the general
government for the Winnebagoes and
| Omahas in Nebraska be. released to then
|
their debts without further mortgaging
their lands. In other words, give then
their money to straighten out their press
ing obligations and make needed improve,
ments on their lands, the leases on which
will soon expire, and give them means
whereby to start in life and farm their
own lands and reap the benefit of their
individual labors.
ITO further stimulate the Omahas and
Winnebagoes TO turn their efforts 10 agri.
cultural pursuits and not lease their hold.
ings. II is proposed by the Indian bureau
to secure the cooperation and aid OF the
Agricultural department to permit tn,
selection OF a few Indians OF the Omaha
and Winnebago tribes to attend a session
Of the Agricultural college at Lincoln IT
order that they may receive instruction
fitting them for practical and competent
management OF their now leased farms.
THE Indian bureau desires to go further
(CoufIuued IN Gacoud