Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-08-20
oALEFACE FATHER
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 1877 LEFT

HELENA, Mont, Aug. 17.-Homes
and a chance to make a living are to
De provided for the band of Chippewa
indians who came near starving near
acre last winter, and it is expected that
chief Rocky Boys band will soon cease
is nomadic life. John +. Armstrong,
special allotting agent of the Indian
service, is in Helena to round up the
members of the band preparatory to TAX
ng them to public lands lying on the
eastern and northern boundaries of the
Fort Peck reservation in northeastern
Montana. He is now trying to locate
he ChippeWas.
Each member of the tribe, down to
The youngest child, will receive a tract
IF his own, and then the government
will eXpend the $4,000 appropriated by
Congress early this year for the pur-
chase of farm implements, houses, sheds
and other necessary things,
Long indeed has been in the wait of
The remnant of this once important tribe
for help from the government. Pushed
westward from Michigan years ago, the
Chippewas have been decImated by pri-
Vatlon and disease, and for years they
1aye been wanderers, driven from here
and from there, slain by their more
Vagrancy.
Too weak to compel attention while
the government was dealing with more
powerful tribes, the Chippewas were
neglected, and today ttey are the only
tribe of Americas native Indians for
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
live and be so situated that they may
better Withstand the succumbing effects
IF civilization and the decentralization
which it 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 BIackfeet reserve to take a CEN
sus of the tribe and he found it to con-
,sist of 100 American Chippewas and IL
Canadian Chippewas. Nothing will be
| done for the latter and they must shift
for themselves.
With the coming of spring the band
separated and one by one the broken
down wagons creaked 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 a 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 Mr.. Armstrong, and If
possible the Indians will be placed on
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, aG
successful at farming as the Grows their
future will be assured.