The Tomahawk., 1918-04-04
Chippewa Legislative Committee Makes Great
Progress In Adjusting The Affairs Of The
Chippewa People.
Senator, Kellogg and co'gessm Ktson Seensea Miller and Ellsworth See
to> that the Chippewa indians Get Square Deal From the
Indian Bureau.

sent home without accomplishing
anything at the mere behest of the
Commissioner. Instead of going
home they prepared another letter,
more drastic than the previous one
sent 20 the Commissioner and deal
ing with greater particularly with
the abuses existing among their
people and delivered this compuni-
cation to Assistant Secretary Hop
kins who handles all Indian matters
in the Secretary's Office. This let
ter was dated Feb. 18, 1913, and
was nearly fifty pages in length.
Secretary Hopkins, who, by the
way, is from Wyoming, was inn
pressed with the statements made
and, ,after going over the commune
cation carefully called on the In.
dian Office for an explanation. The
Indian Office was forced to concede
justice of many of the complaints
and promised refrom, but denied
the majority of the charges and
sought in an elaborate reply to
justify the policy of the Indian
Bureau and conduct of the Indian
Bureau employees. The defense of
the Indiar. Bureau was transmitted
to the Legislative Committee in q
communication from Secretary
Hopkins dated March 10, 1918. On
March IS. 1918, the Legislative
Committee replied to the Secre
tary's communication. Two sen
tenccs from that letter are worth
repeating here. The committee
said to the Secretary: '''~
THE matter has simmered down
to this: Either we arc deliberately
misrepresenting the facts to you or
the officers Of the Indian Bureau
are ignorant of the situs ton pre-
vailing in our country, and if not
ignorant then they are celebrating
deceiving you. Upon the questions
of administration hereinafter dealt
with we call for = show. down. If
we don't make good we are no
longer entitled to your confidence
or respect, if we do make gooc our
people should be afforded immed:
late relief and the men who are
responsible for the conditions ex
isting should be dismissed from the
public SERVICE -
This communication covered 80
pages of typewriting. Every
charge heretofore made against the
Indian Bureau and its employees in
Minnesota was emphatically reiter
ated and reasserted and proof sub
mitted to substantiate the previous
charges. The Indian Bureau was
again called upon for an explana-
ton by Secretary Hopkins.
About this time Senator Kellogg
took up the annual expenditure of
$1S5, 900 of the trust funds for the
alleged support and civilization
of the Chippewa Indians" with
Secretary Lane. Senator Kellogg
is man Of but few words but
quick to act. He is the embodiment
of honor and will not tolerate i'm
position or crooked dealing. Sec
retary Lane asked Senator Kellogg
to take up with the Indian Bureau
officials the question of the neces
sity of the appropriation of $780,
900 from the trust funds for the
alleged support and civilization Of
the Chippewa Indians during the
next fiscal year. Senator Kellogg
accompanied by Representatives
Knutson and Steenerson went to
the Indian Bureau and saw Assist.
ant Commissioners Merritt. Mr..
Merritt pleaded for a continuation
of the appropriation. Senator Kel-
loge and Representatives Knutson