The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1917-09-06

acres of land worth Approximately
$25, 100000. Her mother and grand
mother had more than $28,000.O 90
standing to their credit and were
the owners of property sheld in
trust of the approximate value of
100000. l took that child per-
sonally to the Indian Bureau and
made personal appeal to the
officials to allow these people suffi-
Gent money to pay their then ex-
listing Indebtedness, to provide this
old woman and her two daughters
with some of the comforts Of life
and to send this child to a sanitor-
ium for treatment.
On April 81, 1917, put the
facts in writing and delivered them
TO the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs. am informed that no
money bias yet been advanced out
of this child's fluids to pay her
expenses in a sanitorium or even to
defray her medical expenses at
home.
In the meantime she has been
exposing every person with whom
she has oeen thrown in contact, to
the disease. Some paltry amount
was allowed the mother and her
two daughters largely as an in
ducement to get them out of Wash
ington. In cases in which Indians
have funds held in trust they are
unable to obtain an accounting
from the officers of the United
States.
An illustration: On April 6,
1917, Harvey K. Myer, Superin-
tendent Leech Lake Agency, Min
nesota, wrote Mrs. Kah-<.m-bash,
an old Chippewa Indian who re.
sides at Coffey, Minnesota, as
follows: e~'.. =. ..,s~.
Tin replying to your letter ypf
| April 2, 1917, regarding statement
of your account in this Office, |
have to advise that a detailed state
ment such as you request cannot
he furnished.''
April 6, 1917, Glen E. Judy, in
charge of Bena Sub agency Bena,
Minnesota, wrote E-quay-zaince,
an old Chippewa Indian residing
at Coffey, Minnesota, in answer to
a letter from her requesting an
increase in her allowance from her
trust funds, in part as follows:
Il have received several letters
from you lately, or which at least
are written in your behalf, and !
wish to again explain to you that
no further requests received from
you will be acted upon, until |
shall have visited your place, and
actually understood your needs,
and learn something of your con-
ditior.
~ our letter of the 5th inst, rela-
tive to an increase in allowance to
fifty dollars per month, instead of
twenty as at present, is the latest
one received, and l wish to advise
you that same will not be allowed. y
The Indian whose property is
held in trust, particularly where
his funds are held in trust, is de
MED the right to employ an attor-
ney to investigate the accuracy of
the account, and specific informa'
ton as to receipts and expenditures
is denied him unless he will per-
sonally 60 to the Agency where be
can look at the books. AS most of
these people are ret experiences
in accounting ard bookkeeping
they can learn nothing from an
examination of the books, and they
are only permitted to examine
such portions of the books of &C
counts as the officer in charge sees
fit to allow. When the State au-
thorities have attempted to levy
and collect taxes on allotted lands
in violation of the terms and pre-
visions under which the allotments
we're made, and in violation of the
agreements with the federal gov
eminent, the Indian Bureau has