The Tomahawk., 1918-05-16

obtain the exact facts. You re.
piled under date of April 18th ad.
vising US that Commissioner Sells
had already directed "a most
thorough-going investigation be
had of all the Chippewa reserva-
tions IN Minnesota and his explicit
directions to the inspecting officer
covered fully the lines suggested
by the Committee" On April 1S,
at our request, our attorney wrote
you further upon the subject par
ticularly requesting that we be ad-
vised at, least ten days in advance
of the arrival of the Inspector at
White Earth so that we could ar
range for the proper presentation
of evidence sustaining our previous
complaints to the Department. TO
this letter the Commissioner of In
dian Affairs replied under date of
Apcil 25th in which he assured US
that the investigation was to be
COMPLETE AND THOROUGH
but specifically Informed u.s. that
our tribal organization would rot
be permitted to be represented by
an attorney. Having had previous
assurances from the Indian Bureau
that its Investigations of the com
plants submitted would be com
plete and thorough" which in fact
resulted in the suppression of the
truth and the application of the
whi>ewash brush to the employees
against whom the complaints we're
made, we sought an interview with
Commissioner Sells which occurred
commencing at 2 O'Clock, April
9th, 1918. Commissioner Sells
again assured US that the investi
CATION was to be complete and
thorough and asked Us to file any
additional complaints in writing
either 10 his Office or with the in
spector together with a list of
Witnesses. He informed US, how
ever, that we would hot be per-
u.itted representation at or during
the investigation; that it would not
be open; that there might or might
| not be a record made; that our or
ganization would not be permitted
through representative or attor-
ney to produce witnesses or ex-
anime them; that we would not be
permitted to examine or cross-ex-
anime any person who might give
testimony or make 4 statement
contrary to the facts as we had
alleged them; t. hat the investigation
would be made entirely by the in
spector as he saw tit, and that the
result of his investigation would
be embodied in a report that would
probably be considered, the same
a. all other reports of inspectors,
AS 'conidential'' and would not be
accessible to the officials of our
tribal organization. ..
| We have carefully considered
this matter and have advised our
people of the manner in which this
so called investigation is to be
made and after bearing from them
we beg to advise you that we
withdraw, so far as this so called
investigation is concerned, every
allegation contained in our COM
munications to YOU, or submitted
to you by our attorney, likewise
every complaint submitted by us
or our attorney to the Indian Bu-
reau. When we filed these com
plants we we're acting in good
faith. We believed they would re
suit in an investigation that would
be an investigation in fact as we'll
As in name which would disclose
the real situation, the, true facts.
We know in advance that the pro
posed investigation, if conducted
as the Commissioner informs us it
| will be, will not disclose the real
situation or the real facts, for we
know from past experience that
investigations conducted, as the
Commissioners proposes to conduct
this investigation, have suppressed,