The Tomahawk., 1918-05-09

two cases was based upon the ex-
parte and self serving statements
of the persons under investigation.
The committee stated further that
unless the Chippewa people we're
allowed TO be represented by an
attorney and were permitted to
examine and cross-examine wit.
nesses, they would have nothing to
do with such an investigation.
At seven O'Clock the same even
ing the mass meeting convened to
hear the report of the committee
which was rendered. After discus.
sion it was unanimously agreed
that it be the sense of the meeting
to demonstrate against such an in
vestigation as was contemplated by
the Indian Bureau, and accordingly
the following telegram was adopt
ed and ordered to be sent to the
Secretary of the Interior and
members of Congress, to-wit: =.
AT mass meeting of the Chip
pewa Indians of the White Earth
Agency, the following telegram
was authorized to be sept TO the
Secretary of the Interior and to
certain members of Congress. Ma.
jority of Indians opposed to con-
.templated investigation by Indian
Commissioners Office, ON the
ground that it is restricted 10 scope
biased in principal, and not calcn-
lated to bring out the whole truth.
''Indians refuse to take any part
in said investigation whatsoever
unless they are represented by an
attorney and insist upon open hear
ings, examination and cross-exam.
inationeof witnesses, that all test:
mony be given under oath and
reduced to writing and accessible
to tribal authorities, and that all
books, records and accounts per.
tanning to tribal affairs be pro.
duced." -, =. . ...s. "a ~,er Ill. ~.
a (S1GNED) G.. A BERRY, 5=..,
l.-,ss s : @t @ Chairman. a a5t !: 3 s,
Among the members of Congress
to whom the above telegram was
sent was Congressman Clarence B.
Miller. Mr.. Miller, true to his
sense of justice and. fairness for
the Indians welfare, answered
promptly and notified the chair
man, that he was endeavoring to
obtain a congressional investiga-
ton of all. of the affairs of the
Chippewas of Minnesota, and that
be would endeavor to see to it that
the Indians were given every op~
portunity to present their matters
fully and freely as they should be.
Contrasting Congressman Mil
ler's attitude of fairness with that
of the Indian Bureau we have only
to cite the reply of that Bureau to
the above telegram, which is to the
effect that under no conditions will
attorneys he permitted to repre-
sent the Indians and no examina-
ton or cross examination will be
permitted by them. @
Thus the Chippewas of Mime
sofa, the great majority of whom
have become self-supporting, law
abiding, tax paying citizens of the
great State of Minnesota have
again been forced to bitter injustice
and insoIent treatment at the hands
of that autocratic branch of this
free government-the Indian Blu
reau. Instead of assisting the In
dams. to ! betterment of their
personal welfare and to protect
their tribal property from further
criminal waste and extravagence.
the bureau knowingly and deliber-
ately is seeking again to completely
suppress tie truth of their own
shortcomings by the perfidy of
= policy well known to be fallacious.
That bureau il determined that
Congress nor the members of the
tribe shall know of the unlawful
expenditures of tribal funds. the
criminal waste and inefficiency con-
nected with it's supervision and the
grotesque incompetency of its own