Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-02-02
CONGRESSMAN AN
ADOPTED INDIAN
WHITE EARTH CHIEF TESTiFIES
REGARDING ALLOTMENT Of
FERED CONGRESSMAN.
WHITE EARTH INQUIRY
Fred Dennis, Once Secretary to Con-
gressman-Says an AppIica-
ton Was Signed to Please
the Indians.

Minneapolis, Feb. l. Representa-
tive Steenerson's statement in Wash
ington that he had made an applica-
ton for an allotment on the White
Earth reservation, following the pas
sage of the Stevenson act, as a mat
ter of courtesy to the Indians who
had adopted him into their tribe, was
supported before the Indian investi-
eating committee when Mr.. Steener
sons former secretary, Fred Dennis,
of Detroit, Mimi, was called as wit
ness.
Mr. Dennis, after identifying Mr..
Steenerson's signature to a paper
dence by the attorneys of the depart
ment of justice as an application for
a tract of 1855 acres on the reserva-
ton, testified that Mr.. Stevenson
had been asked to take the land at
the annual tribal celebration in 1905,
by Chief Michi-chigesik; that he had
declined to take it then, saying that
he would take the land in his heart"
and that he signed the application
only when it was later sent to him at
Washington with the statement that
it's refusal would offend the Indians.
Never Gone to Land.
Mr. Dennis declared that Mr. Steen-
erson had never gone ON the land to
select the tract, the application hav-
ing been made out for him. Chief
Michi-chi-gesik, on the occasion Of
Mr.. Steenersons adoption, had sug-
gested, according to Mr.. Dennis, that
Mr.. Stevenson accept his own tract.
Mr.. Steenerson's' Washington state
ment with reference to the applica-
ton had been called out by the pub
lished report that the attorneys of
the department Of justice were seek
ing to prove before the investigating
committee that the Stevenson act
was one of series which led to the
defrauding of the Indians of the res
ervation and that they would intro
duce what purported to be his applica-
ton for land under the act which
bears his name.
Adoption Declared Resented.
Rev. Charles Wright, son of Chief
White Cloud, who is recognized by the
full bloods as their chief, said that
Mr.. Steenerson's adoption into the
tribe had been resented. He declared
that he had protested to the Indian
commissioner when he heard that a
proffer of land had been made to Mr..
Stevenson, saying that Mr.. Steiner
son was a well-to-do man who did not
need the land, while many Mile Lac
Indians were in a condition of desti-
tuition.
He Believed Law Unnecessary.
The witness testified that he had
been opposed to the adoption Of Mr..
Stevenson into the tribe as veteran
for securing the passage of the act
giving the Indians their allotments,
because he had believed that there
already was a law to that effect.
He said he believed the allotments
would have been secured without the
act. The chief declined to agree with
Gus Beaulieu, who questioned him,
that Mr.. Steenerson's act had made
good what had been only a promise.
The chief said he did not attend the
council which adopted Mr.. Steiner
son.
Edward Santwilier, railway con-
ductor of Minneapolis, also testified
that Agent Michelet had volunteered
to get him fee simple patents to his
allotments for $40. He said he dis
covered that it was not necessary to
pay the commission and, on telling
Michelet so, the latter admitted that
it was not, but that he had asked it
for assistance in hurrying the patents
through At that time, he stated, he
was not of age, but he would not tes-
tify that Michelet knew of that fact.
Indian Pastor on Stand.
Rev. Charles Wright related expe-
riences which revealed that full blood
Chippewas of the reservation, who
particularly look to him as chief,
though himself of mixed blood, were
playing subordinate role in the In
dian politics of the reservation. He
declared that he had been offered a
$4,000 stand of pine if he would let
the full bloods alone President
Roosevelt, he said, had declined to
see him when he went to Washington
on Indian matters, though armed with
letters of introduction from Governor
Johnson and Senator Nelson, unless
the Indian office assented, and the In
dian office had written him that it
would not be convenient for the presi
dent to see him.
Thirty Killed in Fight.