Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1917-05-03
Complete Emancipation
American Indian Near
Commissioner Sells With Approval Of
Secretary Lane, Proclaims Emancips.
ton of American Indian

AOAAoWAAA6 10 SoPy VI ouo A0N
declaration Of policy in the admin
istration of Indian affairs, made
public this week through the court
esy of the officers of the Fort Yates
Standing Rock Indian Agency:
During the past four years the
efforts Of the administration of In
dian affairs have been largely con.
centrated on the following funda.
mental activities-the betterment
Of health conditions Of Indians, the
suppression Of the liquor traffic
among them, the improvement Of
their industrial conditions, the fur.
ther development Of vocational
training in their schools, and the
protection of the Indians property.
Rigid progress has been made along
all these lines, and the work thus
reorganized and revitalized will go
on with increased energy. With
these activities and accomplish
ments we'll under way, we are now
ready to take the next step in our
administrative program.
The time has come for discontinu.
ing guardianship of all competent
Indians and giving even closer at
tention to the incompetent that they
may more speedily achieve compe-
tency.
Broadly speaking, a policy Of
greater liberalism will henceforth
prevail in Indian administration to
the end that every Indian, as soon
d. he has been determined to be ss
competent to transact his own busi-
t1ess as the average white man,
shall be given full control Of his
property and have all his lands and
moneys turned over to him, after
which he will no longer be a ward
Of the government:
Pursuant to this policy, the fol-
lowing rules shall be observed:
ITO all able-bodied adult In
diahs Of less than one-half Indian
blood, there will be given as far as
may be under the law full and COM
plete control Of their property.
Patents in fee shall be issued to all
adult Indians Of one-half or more
Indian blood who may, after cares
full investigation, be found compe-
tent, provided, that where deemed
advisable patents in fee shall be
withheld for not to exceed 40 acres
as a home.
Indian students, when they are
21 years of age, or over, who com.
plete the full course Of instruction
in the government schools, receive
diplomas, and have demonstrated
competency will be so declared.
ga liberal ruling will be adopt.
ed in the matter Of passing upon
applications for the sale Of inherit.
ed Indian lands where the appli.
cants retain other lands and the
proceeds are to be used to improve
homesteads or for other equally
good purposes. A more liberal
ruling than has hitherto prevailed
will hereafter be followed with re.
aard to the applications of non.
competent Indians for the sale ol
their lands where they are old and
feeble and need the proceeds fol
their support.
@The rules which are made tc
apply in the granting Of patents ir
fee and the sale. Of lands will bt
made equally applicable in the mat
ter o; issuing certificates Of compe
tency.
4=Indians will be given unre
stricted control of all their individ
ual Indian moneys upon issuance o
Patents in fee or certificates of com
pstency. Strict limitations will
not be placed upon the use Of fund
of the old, the INDECENT, and tn
invalid. v.
5-As speedily as possible thei
pro rata shares in tribal trust o
Continued on Last Pase)