The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-30

Detroit, Mimi, jan. 30.-Theodore III.
Beaulieu has addressed an open letter
to Franklin X. Lane, secretary of the
interior, in behalf of the Chippewa In
dams Of Minnesota, who. he says, have
been systematically despoiled by the
federal government. He contends that
the lands held for reservoir purposes
should either be restored to the In
dams II not used as originally planned.
or full and ample compensation made
for them.
Friends of the Indians say the facts
and figures show that under the pa
terna policy of the government and
the laundering and inefficient admins
tration Of affairs the Chippewas have
been robbed of nearly 1,000, 900 acres Of
their land holdings. In addition, they
say, over $4,000, 900 Of the tribal funds
have been expended within the past
twenty-five years and, with the ex-
ception of educational services, there
are no manifest evidences on this or
any other of the Minnesota Chippewa
agencies Of any creditable results
which have followed he expenditure Of
this vast sum of a helpless nations
heritage. Mr.. Beaulieu's cOmmunica-
ton follows:
Lands "confiscated."
Permit me to call your attention to
the recommendation of Maj. Francis
N. OIluilh OIL Tie LSuCI OIL SIISIllCS4A A'S
corps, concerning the disposition OF
certain lands which formerly belonged
to the Chippewa Indians Of Minnesota,
and which were taken or rather con-
fiscated by the government for SOCIAL
ed reservoir purposes in 1881 and
1882.
ITO be brief, l will say I am a mem
Der Of the band above referred to; that
in 1SS0-1SS1, l was employed as su-
p~erintendent of the Indian boarding
school at the Ieech Lake agency; that
at that time a commission, composed
Of DR.. Barnard of Minneapolis, Judge
| Simpson Of Winona and Major Nor
rell of the Indian office at Washing
ton, came to Leech Lake and spent
two weeks negotiating with the seVeraI
bands of the Chippewa Indians for the
matter of damage to land, hay mead
oWs, fisheries, cranberry marshes n
flooded by the building of the reservoir
at the headquarters of the Mississippi
river l was persuaded by the COM
mission to accompany the party on the
trip and during their negotiations WIN
the Indians who resided in he several
villages about t he shores of Leech'
Cass and Winnebagoshish lakes.
Promises Broken.
Every day during the negotiations,
the members Of the commission SOL
emily PROMISED lily pSOplCs "O ONtPPS
wa Indians, that no timber would be
cut, the reservoirs would not be built,
no lands flooded, ETC., until the dam
ages, as assessed by the commission,
were paid by the government In 1uil'
It was afterwards learned that at the
time the commission was making tnese
solemn promises to the Indians, the
government had a crew of men cutting
timber and otherwise employed IN the
preliminary work of building or the
reservoirs. What was the fina out
come?
1.-THE" reservoirs were built. some 49,
600 acres Of Chippewa Indian lands
We're claimed by government ofnclals
to be subject to overflow n the IN
dams rice fields, ahy meadows, fish,
cries. cranberry marshes and gardens
were permanently destroyed Yet 1t
was not until several years a gone
by and after repeated requests from
the Indians that the government finally
made an effort to pay the COMMISSIONS
promised damage assessment, n TINS
in a greatly reduced degree compared
to the original commission estimate.
Furthermore, a ~magnanimous congress
voted to the effect that no claim or
right of compensation shall accrue,
etc. to the said Indians for any lands
which were subjected to overflow by
the construction of the reservoir. In
other words, it deemed it just and
right to deprive the Chippewa In
dams Of Minnesota of 10000 acres OF
their lands without compensation, If
such lands were subject to Overflow
Should Restore Lands.
NOW, then, Mr., Secretary, after the