The Tomahawk., 1917-04-05
I. Statement of the Policy Pursued
by the Indian Bureau.

I. Statement of the Policy Pursued
by the Indian Bureau.
The Indian appropriation bill ap-
proved May Is, 1916, contains appro-
priations out of the public moneys of
the United States for the payment of
all employees of the United States in
ending June 80, 1917. These appro-
priations are found in the lump sums
appropriated for the different purposes
enumerated in the act and embrace
every branch of the Indian service of
the United States. The Chippewa In
dians Of Minnesota, being under the
control of the United States govern
ment, form an integral part of the
Indian service. This has been too long
recognized by positive law to admit Of
doubt. Prior to 1901 express provision
was found in each and every appropri-
alton bill for the payment of the agent
and the agency employees of the Chip
peWa Indians out of the public moneys
of the United States. In 1901 the Sec
rotary was authorized, in his discretion,
to abolish the office of Indian Agent,
ished, devolved upon the Superinten-
dent of the Training School, who was
an employee of the United States and
within it's classified Civil Service.
Thereafter the Agent was abolished
and the duties of that office trans
ferred to the superintendent of the
school, and the agency force then in
the classified service was automatical-
ly placed under the Superintendent of
the Training School, From that year
on lump sums have been appropriated
out of the public moneys to pay the
salaries Of all Superintendent of
Schools, and Of Agency employees of
every kind and description in the en-
tire service of the United States.
1 wish here to make plain the dis
tinction between the Indian Service
Of the United States" and the Indian
Service in Minnesota" as used in the
statute to be hereinafter considered,
the former embraces all positions in
the Indian Service, the salaries Of
which are paid from the public moneys
of the United States, while the latter
relates to- and embraces, only the spe-
,cial service purely local to the Chip
pewa Indians in Minnesota authorized
by Congress, from time to time, under
the proviso to Section of the Act of
January ID, 1889 (25 Stat, 642), and
also the school system maintained un-
der the express provisions of Section
7 of said Act, the expenses of which
are paid from the vested trust funds
of the Chippewa Indians. This purely
local service is not and cannot law
fully be made or treated as part of
the "Indian Service Of the United
States" and therefore forms no part
of the service over which the Civil
Service Commission has jurisdiction
l am advised that for years past it
has been the policy Of the Indian Blu
reau to exempt the Indian Service on
the Chippewa Reservations in Mime
sofa from any participation in the dis
tribution of the public moneys appro-
priated by Congress for the support
of the Indian Service of the United
States and to pay the entire cost Of
said regular service on the Chippewa
Reservation, including the salaries Of
all United States employees, out of the
trust funds of said Indians, and that
only when said trust funds are insult
ficient to pay the entire costs of SER
vice is any portion Of the public
moneys used therefor. l am further
advised that only in a few instances
in recent years has the latter contin-
gency arisen, and then it has only
been necessary to use few thousand
dollars of the public moneys to make
up the deficit. This is, in effect and
practical results, the same as though
the amount of the trust funds of these
provided in the trust to be devoted
exclusively to the establishment and
maintenance af the system Of free
schools among said Indians, in their
midst and for their benefit" and the
amount appropriated by Congress
from time to time pursuant to the
terms of the trust found in the proviso
to Section Of the Act of January a.
1889, supra, to be expended for the
exclusive benefit of said Indians in the
event the Secretary deemed such ex-
penditure proper and necessary, and
which amounts now to $1S5,0G0, was
mingled with and included in the lump
appropriations by Congress out of the
public funds for the support of the
Indian Service of the United States.
These trust funds, instead of being
i ~ ~f soI
service designed to augment and sup
plement the regular Indian Service on
the Chippewa Reservation, are being
used for the benefit of the entire In
dian Service of the United States,
thus comforting proportionate and
equal benefits upon all the other In
dian tribes throughout the nation to
those received by the Chippewas Of