The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1918-12-05

ary Ot older settlemen5. but preCty
soon your will pass again into q
thickly settled, prosperous terri
tory on the other side. 9
Then if You are new to Mime
sofa you will come back and begin
to inquire. You will be told that
you were lin the Indian reservs
tion.'' But YOU have seen other
reservations AID the explanation
does not solve the problem. Then
you will learn of the Clapp amend
ment and its application.
You will learn that here an i'm
mense territory was occupied by a
few Chippewas. That 10 order to
permit of it's being settled and put
into cultivation Senator Clapp
succeeded in having passed a bill
permitting the adult mixed blood
Indians to sell their lands or mort
rage them. They will tell you
that the hight before the law went
into effect there formed in front
of the banks in the reservation
towns long lines of Indians anx-
ious to sell an 80 acres or to Dor
row money with which to improve
Or buy stock and machinery. And
equally long line. of white men
we're about the land agents. head
quarters, ready to buy what was
for sale. Business doomed. Set
tiers went in to possess the prom
ised land. They broke the sod
and started houses and barns and
school houses and churches. Towns
grew and thrived.
Let it. be said that there was
dishonesty in isolated cases ON both
sides. Indians were dispossessed
of their lands for slight recon-
pense. Indians of full blood swore
they we're of mixed blood and de-
frauded white men of their money.
For tho Indian defrauded there
was recourse. He was protected
BY the courts, and proof that he
had received for bis lands less than
they were worth made it necessary
for the purchaser to reimburse
him. The white man had no re-
course. Let the Indian but swear
be was a full blood and the white
purchaser had lost all his money.
There were such cases on both
sides. But in the main the Trans
actions were honest on both sides.
Then suddenly the Indian bureau
stepped in. 1t was announced
through all the papers that titles
to these lands we're worthless
and they we're made so. Lis pen
dens we're filed on every title by
the Indian agents. No more sales
could be made by anybody. The
purchasers protested, but their
plants were of no avail. So the
matter dragged for years. Till at
last here just recently the Indian
Office made up after = long and
expensive investigation a list OF
the Indians who really are of
mixed blood and those of pure
blood. That was completed only
few months ago. Now business
can 20 on agsina
On your life it CAT not. That list
is 4 secret list in the archives OF
the Indian bureau. The man who
bought of IN Indian representing
himself to be of mixed blood must
settle with the Indian without
knowing whether the investigation
proves him of mixec blood or Of
full blood. Only after the settle.
ment is made is the fact made
public that the Indian is of mixed
blood.
A typical instance. A man went
into a reservation town. He work
ed hard and faithfully in bic owr
business and to build up the towr
and country surroundingit, Show
ing his faith 10 the country, he in
vested bis savings in that land
When the crash came he hele
deeds to several 80 acre tracts
which had cost him an average oi