Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-10-03
Sioux Black Hills Claim Valid
Says Noted Indian Missionary
Rev. Edward Ashley who Attended all Ses-
sions Of the Treaty Commission in
1876 Upholds Indian Claim

Indians Of the Sioux nation have
solid claim for more compensa-
tion for the Black Hills, according
to Rev. Edward Ashley, Episcopal
church missionary in the Dakotaa
since 1874, dean Of the Niobrara
district and contemporary Of Bish-
ops Henry Whipple and William
Hare and Drs Williamson, Riggs,
Hindman, Cook, Burt and others
whose names are synonyms for rec
titude and brotherly kindness
among all the tribesmen Of the
plains. Nationwide interest is Ia.
ken in the contentious Of the Sioux
that they were robbed Of their heri-
tage BY majority Of the original
commission sent to treat with them
for the ceasion Of the new gold land.
They are asking Congress to right
the wrong by appropriating mil
lions among them. Speaking he.
fore q recent council Of trans Mis-
souri, Sioux, called to consider and
provide for pressing their claim at
Washington, Mr.. Ashley said:
For myself want to say that if
ever there was a body of people who
have valid claim, you people have
it in this Black Hills question:
Mr.. Ashley attended all sessions
Of the councils held BY the govern
ment commissioners and the In.
dians Of the Grow Greek agency in
1876, and in q statement to the
Aberdeen News he summarizes the
situation and draws the following
conclusions:
Congress now has. a bill before it
+ r
passed by the senate at the last ses.
sion, which provides that the Sioux
Indians may 80 into the court Of
claims against the government for
more remuneration than they have
received for.she Black Hills. As
Doane Robinson says in a recent
article, the treaty Of Laramie, ap-
proved BY Congress, declared that
no treaty for the cession of the
Black Hills or any part Of it should
be valid or enforced, unless it was
executed before and signed by at
least three-fourths Of the adult male
Indians Of the tribe.
It is true that when the socalled
Black Hills Commission was sent
out to treat with the Indians for
the cession Of the Black Hills, after
General Custer had made it known
that there was gold there, the COM
mission did not attempt at any
agency which it visited, with one
exception, to insist that three
fourths Of the male population
should be present to hear the trea.
ty read or to sign the pact. They
assembled a few chiefs and some Of
the head men Of the tribe and con.
ferred with them, and BY fair means
or foul, rushed the treaty through
and induced these few persons to
sign it, notwithstanding that the
chiefs and head men were not
authorized to sign away the rights
Of the Indian people.
During the sessions Of the coun.
Gil, we discovered that the commits
sioners were divided, with Bishop
Whipple and the chairman saying
that the business Of making the
treaty should be carried through
fairly and above board. and other
members seeming to have the idea
that the whole work Of the com mis-.
sion was to get the treaty signed in
any way BY fair. means or other.
wise. Consequently, when the com.
missioners went on up the Missouri
river to Fort Bennett to confer with
the next group Of Indians, the ides
Of the second faction had prevailed,
and at the Fort Bennett counci