Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-30
OMAHAS AND THE NEW ORDER
Indians Opposed to the Consolidation
of Agency superintendent.
RED TAPE CAUSES MUCH DELAY
Annoyance Due TO Cumbersome Reg
ulatIOns LikeIy 60 he Increased
Under Plan Proposed by
the I1dian Bureau.

tor OF The Bee: 1 saw a short paragraph
In the editorial columns Of The Bee last
week In which II was said the consolida-
tion Of the Omaha and Winnebago
agencies would expedite, and not hamper,
the business Of the two agencies, and that
It would add to the progress Of the In
dams. / write to correct any erroneous
impression that may have been received,
for anyone who knows about conditions
around here know this Is not so. The at
titude Of resistance which the Omaha In
dams have taken against the recent action
Of the Indian office in combining the busl-
ness Of the Omaha and Winnebago
agencies under one superintendent is a
natural one, growing out Of the hardships
Of the conditions imposed on them by the
department, and the position they have
taken Is not untenabie.
We are not fighting a mere chimera-
we are fighting for the SAME principle for
which the forefathers Of this great Amerl-
can nation fought for and who considered
human lives but a paltry offering when
laid down at the shrine of liberty.
The Omaha Indians have three valid OBJ
]jections to the so-called consolidation Of
the business OF the two agencies under
one superintendent. / shall take up each
objection
Flrst-It is going to materially increase
their hardships In transactlng an immense
amount Of business with the department,
delaying interminably and sometimes rem
derlng execution Of same impossible.
second-It removes A. G. Pollock, their
present superintendent, in whom they have
perfect confidence and who has won their
universal respect.
T~hird-A1vayg Iudepandart tboy roravt
greatly the fact that they have not been
consulted in regard to this plan when they
were so deeply concerned.
Basis for Complaint.
These hardships grew out Of the quallfl-
cations l have already spoken of, which
restricted the liberty Of the Indian to his
property rights. For although he could
vote, the government was to hold his land
In trust for twenty-five years and he could
not sell it. After a few years the poll
ticians felt sorry for their red brethren
and caused congress to pass a law BY
which the Indian could sell his heirship
lands; the white brother 60 got the land,
the Indian office took the money in trust.
the indian got the restrictions. The money
that comes from the sale Of heirship land
Is held in the office and the Indian can
draw $40 a month.
lie can rent his lands to white men; the
lenses IN the majority OF cases being made
out in the government office, the rents
being collected and held through the same
and paid out to the Indian twice a wear
Here is where a big mistake was made BIZ
the department. The Indian, while under
the trtelage of the government should
have in the majority OF cases been
allowed to lease his own land. 1t would
have given him some responsibility and
taught him methods OF business and
brought him into better contact with the
"hlte people. he would Inevitably have
proilted by the bitter experience with his
white brethren and b~ettered himself and
made a big stride in progress.
The Indians are scattered all over the
reservation and the government office ia
located at Macy, nine miles from Walthiu
twelve from Hosalie, twenty-five from
Bancroft and Lyons, and thirteen from
decatur, only a few families live at Macy
when an indian wants to transact business
win the department, 1t necessitates a drive
TO Macy anywhere from three to twenty
OF twenty-five miles, over bad roads
usually and in all kinds OF weather Al
the government office he has to wait and
wait perhaps for several hours. wiihout
food for man or beast; some times after
several hours of waiting he has to go home
again disappointed because the sunerin-
tendent was too busy to attend to him
Ferhaps he comes back again and again
without accomplishing what he wants tn
get done and 1 nave had them come clea,.
out here TO Walthlll so could phone or
write for them.
Red Tape at Agency.
There are savarol r1arl.,
the business; the financial clerk. the Ieas-
Ing clerk, the stenographer and typewriter
the official Interpreter who is a brlrh,
educated Indian woman, and the authority
clerk and the superintendent.
When an Indian comes to transact bust
ness he steps into a little room that can
hold but four or five people standing IN: he
speaks through a window to the Interpreter
and If DESTROYS of making a lease to a
white renter he is passed over to the leas-
tn@ clerk; II not, ne speaks through tho
authority window to the authority clerk in
charge. He may have money from the sale
Of land In tbs Office and he wishes 10
buy, maybe, a buggy, a horse. a new stove
or a blanket shawl. The clerk writes 20
Washington to ask the Indian office that
authority be allowed 10 grant this request.
1t may take weeks for the AUTHORITY IN
NNN~ NSNN NWN IA ihuldn mas 10 come
back again and again. Sometimes the de-
partment disapproyes and 1t is not allowed
IL allowed the article has To be examined
by the superintendent and when the white
man delivers the article to the Indian the
Indian signs a Check with the superin-
tcudent signing as trustee, and then II Is
turned over TO the white man. The In
dian is restricted and bound with led tane
We have department circulars galore IN
cover each and every occasion, and a con-
slant changing of the rules and regulations
OF the department TO fit the ever shifting
ever experimenting policy Of the depart
ment. We have rules and regulations n
the right Of us. TO the left OF us. behind
us do you wonder we object to continu-
alton Of them in front OF usy
ROutihc for superintendent.
Tue superintendent Is one OF the busiest
men in the state Of Nebraska. The money
under his care is deposited In five diff
tcrent banks. lie has TO watch carefully
and see that the amounts do not exceed the
limits OF the bonds, Every check to an
Indian must be signed by him; every check
70 a White man he must sign as trustee.
every application has to be examined: he
must listen TO the request Of every indian
There must be over 100 white people lIying