The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1909-09-30
Hanna's Interview With
Berthold Indians
Congressman Tells Complete Story of the Council With
The Braves, When They Agreed to the Opening
of 100000 Ac-xs Of Fertl Land

from Garrison on the 500 road, pass
ed over very fine farming coun'
try, we'll settled and with a splendid
crop. As soon as we came to the
edge Of the reservation We found it
fenced, and then for miles. We went
through beautiful, slightly rolling
country with a spiel did growth OF
grass, very few stones, and just az
far as the eye could see, ! great roll
ing stretch Of magnificent prairie,
At the agency there is quite lit
tie custer of buildings, day school
for Indian scholars, a mission, under
thee large OF Rev. G. l.. Hall, a Con
gregatlonal minister, and another mis-
Sion under the charge Of Rev. Father
l.. Favreau, a Catholic mission. The
Indian agent is G. w. Hoffman. We
were treated with the utmost cour-
tesy by every one at the agency. We
arrived there Saturday and it was ar
rangd that the council, or confer
ence, Win the Indians should be held
Monday morning beginning at nine
O'Clock.
The indians kept coming in Sunday
from the various parts of the reser'
walton and on Monday morning prac-
tically all of the male population and
some or -.e women and children were
present. It had been intended to
hold lie council out of doors, but
on account sf a high wiad Glowing,
Father Fav.eau very kindly offered
the use Of one Of his buildings which
had plenty Of seating capacity for
every one. There were quite 4 num-
Der of the wnlte people who were in
terestea in the opening Of the res
ervation from the towns of Ryder
and Plaza, on a spur of the 500 road
which cuts the northeast corner OF
the reservation. These people were
much interested as the opening OF the
reservation will mean much for their
towns which already have splen
did start. The eros Ventres and the
Manuans understand each other fair
ly we'll. but in talking to the In
dams it was found necessary to have
either two interpreters or have one
VINO spoke fluently two Of the Indian
languages and also in the English
language. Sam Newman, who Is the
chief of Indian police, and Is an In
dian himself, acted as Interpreter.
speaking first to the eros. Ventres
and the Mandans and then repeating
again in the Rec language. The
meeting was opened by the Indian
agent, MI, Holman, who stated the
object Of calling the conference to-
gether, and then introduced Mr.. Alb
bott. who acted as the chairman OF
the meeting for the balance OF the
time. Mr.. Abbott made a very fine
address to the Indians. He would
sneak a, few minutes and then stop
and the interpreter would interpret
the sentences first to the Mandans
and eros Ventres and then to the
Rees. then when he had done that,
Mr.. Abbott would 60 on with few
more sentences, and in that way
made his speech to the Indians. 1t
was very interesting to watch the In
dams to see whether the sentiments
EXPRESSED met with their approval,
or not. 1t was impossible from the
expressions Of their faces to tell one
way or the other, but it was posi-
BILE to tell in another way, which was
this, il they approved, you would
hear all over the room the Word'
How uttered in a g}utteTal tone Of
voice, and the more "Hows' there
we're, Of course, the more they ap-
| proved Or the sentiment expressed
If they did not approve, there was
absolutely no expression Whatever.
,ra,, That the opening of this
/ part of the reservation would bring
closer in contact with them, the
white men who would teach them how
to farm as the white men farm. Who
would put out trees, build schols'
churches, houses, barns and while the
white men improved their lands, they
wild, at the same time, be improv-
ing and bringing up the value of the
Indian lands. That this money that
they would receive from the govern
| ment IN Cnc way OI -uIclOoI "ooAu
give them money enough to improve
their homes, to put floors In their
houses and shingles on their roofs, to
! put more windows in so as to have
better ventilation, and in that way
their. health would improve and in
'stead ofreceiving,a they dc, now
only about $11 a year for each one,
|tney would receive in the neighoor-
hood Of $50 or $50 apiece. That 1t
would, also, give them some money
to improve their stock OF cattle and
| horses, which were not what they
should be. After l had finished speak
ing a1ong the lines indicated, B, A.
Dickinson, president of the CONNER
.cial club at Ryder, and H. J. Linde,
president of Commercial club at
Plaza, both made fine addresses and
after them the next speaker was the
Indian chief, Wounded Face. who