The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1918-07-16
INDIANS ASK. I
BlJREAUPR
l'SHlh|E'l|y'Il |
IS SALSO ASKED
:Chippewas Claim $25, 600, 900
Due Them; Say They Have
Been Defrauded. =: Il"
WILL ASK CONGRESS TO
PERMIT INVESTIGATION
Treaty Of 1889 Not Lived Up
to, Asserted; Reservations
J. Unit In Action. Il

- rs =. =
.ss In the resolutions passed by the
Minnesota Chippewas at their annual
aco1ncil held. in Bemidji, last week,
the Indians asked for q refund OF
$4,000 700 and the abolishment1
the Indian bureau at Washington
and equal privileges for Indians OF
intelligence. The resolutions also
touched upon. other phases of condl-
tions that affect them and are as fol-
lows (" - :
Whereas, not single provision
contained in the act approved Jan.
14,.1S89, as agreed to by our people
has been carried out in good faith,
but on the contrary every provision
has been disregarded either in whole
or in part among the more fragrant
violations OF said agreement being
the following 5*E ~. E.ss:.
81. About one million acres of
land partly, covered with valuable
stands OF tImb Ter and ceded under the
agreements Of 1889 have been pat
ented to- the state of Minnesota by
the administrative officers of the
government without any authority
Of law whatsoever, upon the pretext
that the state of Minnesota acquired
some interest in said lands under the
National Swamp Lands acts, not
withstanding the plain terms and
provisions of said acts expressly ex-
cluded the lands of the Chippewas
lands from it's operation.
Park Not Paid For. II
2. BY the act Of June FL, 1906, a
large tract of the most valuable tim
ber land was ceded to the United
States under the agreement of 1889,
to he sold and disposed of and the
proceeds deposited to our credit in
the treasury of the United States was
given to the state of Minnesota "to
be used as state forest reserve or
public park" without one dollar of
compensation being paid therefor by
the United States government or the
state of Minnesota.
3. 3. Large tracts of valuable timber
lands -ceded to the government by
the agreement of 1889, have been
locked up in forest reserves created
by acts of congress in utter disre-
gard of the terms and conditions un-
der which they we're ceded in the
United States ana of the terms and
conditions they were to have been
sold and the proceeds derived there
from placed in the treasury of the
United States 10 the credit OF our
people. THE failure of the United
States to redeem its promises con-
tained in the agreement Of 1889 with
regard to the lands locked up in
forest reserve, has resulted in loss
to our people Of more than a million
dollars.
Allotment Troubles.
p 4. The illegal disposal of 256, so
acres of valuable timber lands under
act of congress approved Feb. 20,
1904, and the illegal disbursement
Of the money.
S. The failure of the officers Of
the United States government to al
lot lands to those members of our
tribe on the Red Lake reservation in
accordance with the provisions of
the act of Jan. IA, 1889, and the
adoption of a policy by the Indian
bureau which will, if permitted to be
carried into execution, result in the
impoverishment of the members of
our tribe residing on the Red Lake
reservation on unallotted land, which
policy compels them to select as their
a1lotments lands denuded Of the tim
ber and of no substantial value
Unwarranted Expense.
6. The illegal and inexcusable ex-
penditure' from our funds of nearly
100000 per annum for the alleged
Support and ciwilization' of our
people, $4,000 of which is being ia
ken annually from our principal in
terest bearing fund and is being ex-
pended for the primary, if not the
sole purpose, of maintaining a great
horde of federal employees in our
midst for the ostensible purpose of
assisting us to support and civilize
ourselves The expenditure of this
money for our alleged support and
civilization is a fragrant disregard of
the promises made by the commits
sioners who negotiated the agree
ment of 1889; is a useless waster of
money, is an outrage upo~ the gov