The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1917-02-23
INDIAN AFFAIRS
ARE SHAKEN UP
TOM ARTHUR STARTS THINGS
AT WASHINGTON; CROW
ENJOYS DO THE REST.

Chiefs Ask Billings Man to Take
Over Management of Their Affairs
at Salary of $4,000 a Year, but
Government Refuses Approval;
Fight On for Reservation Opening.
Big things are doing in Indian at
fairs all over the west. Tom Arthur
of Billings started it, through his eff
forts to bring about the opening of
the Grow Indian reservation, one
Of the garden spots of south
eastern Montana. The PROPOSE
ton to open the Grow reservation
to settlement was instigated by the
Billings Chamber of Commerce some
time ago. In this movement practi-
cally every commercial organization
of southeastern Montana and north
eastern Wyoming Joined An ex-
haustive report was prepared by Sec
rotary Fowler of the Billings Cham
Der of Commerce, and placed in the
hands of the Montana delegation in
congress-
A few weeks ago Tom Arthur went
to Washington with blood in his eye.
He laid before the secretary of the
interior certain protests against the
administration of Indian affairs by
Commissioner Cato Sells. These pro-
tests were supplementary to the de-
mand for the opening of the reserva-
ton. They were SO broad, however,
and so impressed the secretary that
the head men and chiefs OF numer-
Gus tribes were called to Washington
to discuss Indian affairs.
Public Hearing Held.
A public hearing was held in the
office of the commissioner, where
blanketed chiefs, some of them Car
Isle graduates, sat in council with
men versed in Indian affairs. Most
OF the talking for the Indians was
done by the Montana man.
Arthur made great impression
on the Indians, and the upshot of the
conference was an offer, on behalf
Of the Grows as we'll as numerous
other tribes, to him, that he take
over the management of their af-
fairs. With the offer went the ten
der of salary of $4,000 a year, to
be paid out of the various tribal
funds. The offer was made contigent
upon the approval of the government,
which, of course, was not fOrthcOm-
ing.
This big pow-wow was held some
weeks ago, and while no action has
been taken by the government the
leaven is working.
The Associated Press report of
few day ago carried a story from
Washington bearing on the situation.
) 1t is as follows:
Protesting that their people are
starving to death in the midst of
. wealth locked up by bureaucratic red
tape, representatives of the Grow In
!, dians of Montana appeared before
. the senate Indian committee and tes-
titled against the proposed opening
, of the Grow reservation to white set
tiers. and also against the senate bill
authorizing the proposed power and
irrigation dam to be erected in the
Big Horn River canyon without re-
compense to the Indians who own
the power site.
Enormous Power Possibilities
The Big Horn project is one of the
} largest Water-pOwer possibilities in
the west. The dam is expected to de-
velop $4,000 horsepower and the
project is said to be included in the
general scheme of electrifying the
Burlington railroad. The senate bill
taking this valuable property away
from it's Indian owners divides the
payment for the site and the future
lease revenues equally between the
state of Montana and the United
states reclamation service.
The session was one of the most
picturesque and pathetic held by the
committee in years. A dozen stall
wart Crows, chiefs every one, dele
gated by their bands to come to
Washington, unable to speak Eng
lish for the most part, poured out an
epic tale of wrongs at the hands of
) the white mans government. The
most interesting witness of all was
the wife of Chief Spotted Rabbit,
the first reservation sqaw who has
appeared before congressional COM
} mittee in many years.
She wore the most valuable and
least admired gown of any of the
women in the committee room. 1t
: was sleazy of red cloth, but thckly
studded with genuine elks' teeth
representing in itself small for
tune.
Would Prefer Former Hardships.
. much as hate the wars and hard
ships of the old hunting life," she
said through the interpreter, II
would prefer that today to the life
we are forced to lead under the pres
ent SYSTEM Cross examination
could not shake her from this posi-
ton.
"More Crow Indians died from the
lack of nourishment ana proper pro-
visions during the three weeks pre-
ceding Christmas than at any similar
time in the reservations history"
said Russell White Bear in previous
statement to the committee.
This testimony was corroborated
by Thomas Arthur, vice-president of
the Billings Chamber of Commerce.,
who also said he knew of one RillingR