Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-08-20
PALEFACE FHTHER
HELPS CHIPPEWAS
GOVERNMENT FINALLY ARRANGES
TO CARE FOR REMNANT OF
GREAT TRIBE
INDIANS TO GET GOOD LAND.
Remainder of Chief Rocky Boys Band
Will Be Given Farms Near Fort
Peck, Mont
AGENT FINDS ONLY 137 LEFT

HELENA, Mont, Aug. 17.-Homes
and a chance to make living are to
be provided for the Band Of Chippewa
Indians who came near starving near
here last winter, and it is expected that
Chief Rocky Boys band will soon cease
It's nOmadic life. John T. Armstrong.
special allotting agent of the Indian
service, IS in Helena to round up the
members of the band preparatory to tax
ing them to public lands lying Oh the
eastern and northern boundaries Of the
Fort Peck reservation in northeastern
Montana. He is now trying to locate
the Chippewas.
Each member Of the tribe, down 10
the youngest child, will receive IL tract
OF his own, and then the government
viii eXpend the $4,000 appropriated bv
Congress early this year for the pur-
chase OF farm implements. houses, sheds
ana other necessary things
Long indeed has been in the wait of
the remnant Of this once important tribe
Tor help from the government Pushed
westward from Michigan years ago. the
CnlppcWaS have been decImated by Dri-
yatlon and disease. and for years they
nave been wanderers, driven from here
ana from there, slain by their more
vagrancy
Too weak to compel attention while
the government was dealing with more
powerful tribes, the ChipDewas were
neglected. and today ttcy are the only
tribe OF American native Indians for
which provision has not been made.
Rocky Boy never lost faith that some
day the government would act and
warm was his welcome to the special
agent when informed of his mission. He
said;
AT last we are to get a piece Of sod
we may call our own, where the old
men and women can spend their final
years IN peace and where the children
and the young bucks and squaWs may
I'VE and be 50 situated that they may
better withstand the succumbing effects
OF civilization and the decentralization
winch 1t generally entails upon the In
diam
After the people of Helena had seen
last winter to their immediate wants in
the shape of food. clothing. blankets and
shackS the government sent supplies
which carried them through until the
weather moderated. An agent was sent
from the Blackfeet reserve to take a CEN
suS of the tribe and he found it to con
Slst of l2O American Chippewas and II
Canadian Chippewas. Nothing will be
done TOR the latter and they must shift
for themselves.
With the coming of spring the band
separated and one by one the broken
down wagons crcaked out of camp, some
bound nOrthWard. some southwark and
others westward, but all going where the
owner thought he had the best oppor-
tunity to find Il living. Then the govern
ment sent out another agent to see about
putting them on the Fort Peck reserve
and he found the members of the tribe
already scattered.
The task of getting them together has
been assigned to MIR. Armstrong. and if
possible the Indians will be placed on
their land this fall If not it is possible
that the government will take care Of
them this winter. The land assigned to
them is fertile. Wheat, oats. rye and
barley are the principal grains raised
there, and if the Chippewas prove as
successful at farming as the Crows their
flHt will he cS.nrnA