Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-20
TREATY MONEY FOR INDIANS
UNCLE SAM REDEEMS PROMISE
AFTER MANY YEARS.
4.4OO Survivors Of Famous Sioux
Tribes at Last Get Square Deal
From Government.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ST. PAUL, Mimi. January 20.-Next
Friday some $50 Indians of the Sisseton
and Wahpeton tribes. or the heirs of
members of those tribes, from different
parts of Minnesota and southwestern
Wisconsin. will gather in st. Paul TO re-
ceive money which has been due them
ever since 1862. year memorable in the
annals of Minnesota as the date of the
Indian massacre. The payment will be
supervised by Maj. James Mclaughlin
Indian inspector for the United States
government and each of the legal heirs
will receive $151.40.
This sum is the individuals share OF
a recent appropriation by Congress which
is being distributed among the Indians
Of the two tribes. under the supervision
OF Maj. Mclaughlin, in order that the
provisions of the treaty. which the gov
eminent made with the Indians in 1851.
may be carried out. The treaty provided
for fifty annual payments to the In
dians. After the massacre of 1862 pay
ment of these annuities was discontinued
by the government as an act OF punish
ment.
Treaty Was Never Annulled.
However the treaty was never an
nulled. and I'm recent years the Indians
employed attorneys. who placed the mat
ter before the federal government. urg-
ing that the treaty obligations be full
filled. Finally the amount due the Indians
for the forty-one annual payments which
they had not received was figured up
and from this was deducted the total
damages paid by the government to those
who had sustained losses in the Indian
outbreak OF 1862. together with the sum
of the special appropriations which had
been made to the two tribes concerned.
The balance, after the attorneys fees
had been paid, amounted to 100000. This
was apportioned among 400 Indians
each one receiving s157.4O To Maj. Nc
Laughlin. who understands the Indians
and is known and trusted by tribesmen
all over the northwest. was assigned the
duty of supervising the distribution.
Heirs Widely Scattered.
AS the Indian heirs are widely scattered
in the Dakotas. Minnesota, Montana and
Nebraska and even as far away as Wash
ington. D. C., Maj. Mclaughlin. accom-
panied by the government paymaster, will
have to visit thirteen agencies before his
work is completed. He has already made
the large distribution at the Sisseton reser-
walton in South Dakota. where over
900 was paid to 1.90S Indians He is
now at Devils Lake. where he will super
intend the payment of about $4,000 more
10 963 Indians Other payments will be
made as follows:
Fort Peck, Mont, 423 Indians: Belknap
Mont. y: Standing Rock Agency, y. D..
1874: Cheyenne River. s. d.. ~: Crow
Creek. S. D.. 293; St. Paul, 2s9; Rosebud
S. D., -; Pine Ridge, S. ID. 10: Yankton
S. D., 10: Santes. Neb., 122; Flandreau
s. D.. Sc.
Maj. Mclaughlin, who has seen more
than thirty years in the Indian service
and is recognized in the Interior Depart
ment as authority on all matters pertain
ing to the Indians in all sections of the
United States, recently left this city for
the southwest to look up surviving bene-
ficiaries OF this treaty payment. He had
spent nearly two months here collating his
material for the expeditions distribution
of the cash The major declared that the
money would be a most timely payment
TO very many of the Indians of the north
west, whose needs, quite naturally, are
more urgent and necessary during a severe
winter season. a feature of the distribu-
ton not indicated specifically is that each
member of a survivors, family receives
Sl57.4O. and while conditions have obtained
TO prevent many large Indian families
some OF the heads of families will receive
that amount for each child, even to the
infant in arms.