The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-02-01
THE NELSON BILL.

The Indians of Red Lake are op-
posing Senator Nelson's bill provid-
ing for the establishment of a for
est reserve within the Red Lake In
dian agency. One Of the reasons
why they are opposed to this bill
is that they do not know the source
from which it sprang nor what
prompted it, nor do they understand
why they were not taken into con-
sultation in the matter before the
bill was drafted or presented.
OF course it will be said that this
was the same resolution introduced
some time ago, but they were not
consulted then and they have not
been consulted now
There are many we'll educated and
we'll informed Indians on the Red
Lake reservation, perfectly competent
to determine what is best to be done.
There are about 1,4OO Indians that
own this reservation. It is theirs
and they are entitled to be consulted
in advance and unless their wishes
are clearly in error, they should be
needed.
We believe that the Indians be-
lieve that if this large portion of
their reservation is put within the
Forestry Department Of the United
States Of America they will realize
nothing eventually for their prop
erty and that it will build up a de-
partment on their reservation, expen-
sive to maintain, Objectionable to the
Indians who come in contact with
it, limiting the Indians activities
and gradually will drive them from
their homes.
The Indians have been encouraged
to follow agricultural pursuits and
they have met with remarkable sue
cess. The limit Of the leasing of
land for grazing purposes or farm
ing purposes for ten years will not
encourage the clearing and the cul-
tivation of the land. The Indians
will probably resent the idea that
the government has right to lease
to individuals lands which belong
to the tribe. They will hardly un-
derstand that the government has
this legal right.
The Red Lake Indians are COM
paratively happy in their present
surroundings and with the bright
future before them they are COMPARE
lively fast improving their reserva-
ton along the agricultural lines. The
passage of this act will cause them
to be sour, grouchy, dissatisfied, mis-
trustful and fearful of the result of
forestry administration of their
property. The measure, we feel sat-
isfed, will work out injuriously.
So far as the project Of refores-
tration is concerned, it is unfair to
the Red Lake Indians to set apart
one-half Of their property for this
purpose without full immediate COM
pensation from the government. To
take this large area of the Indian
lands for forestry purposes without
immediate compensation and admin
lister it with a view of demonstration
for the benefit of those who are to
come one hundred to two hundred
years from now would be looked up
on as unfair to the Indians.
Every citizen of Northern Mime
sofa should protest against the set
ting apart of this vast area for for
estry and demonstration purposes.
Over one-half of the land thus set
apart is much more suitable for the
agricultural purposes than for fores-
try or reforestration~ purposes. Re-
forestration cannot be successfully
accomplished where the Indian and
white people are permitted to go per-
to prevent this would necessitate an
expense that neither the government
or the Red Lake Indians should bear.
The establishment of this great
forest reserve in the central portion
of Beltrami county would seriously
hamper, delay, retard and defeat the
development of Beltrami county. A
glance at the map shows that this
great reserve extends almost entirely
across Beltrami county. The bill is
an outrage on the citizens of this
and adjoining counties.
The pine is the smallest item in
regard to the bill. Nearly one
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