The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-11-22

they are incompetent to take care of
themselves or to spend their money
and for that reason this department
has been created to take care of them
and see that they do only those
things thought best by the depart
ment.
Regarding the opening of the lands
Mr.. Beaulieu pointed out the appar-
ent fact that the Indian of today did
not possess one inch Of ground that
he could call his own. While it is
true he has the reservation, it is not
his in any sense Of the word and all
that he does to develop the country
is not of any particular benefit to
him, but in great measure helps
the surrounding country and all the
benefit realized by the Indian is the
bare necessities Of life that he is able
to coax forth from the soil, and that
with antiquated machinery and tools.
Under the authority contained in the
Nelson Act approved in January
1889, the government entered into
an agreement with the Chippewas Of
this state by the terms and provisions
of which the Indians coded to the
government all of their lands en-
braced within ten reservations in the
state of Minnesota except sufficient
lands to make allOtments to the In
dams residing thereon, the lands to
be opened to homestead entry under
the homestead laws and the Indians
to be paid $1.25 per acre for such
lands homesteaded, to be placed in
the treasury of the United States to
the credit of the Indians, the same to
bear interest at the rate of 5 per
cent, three fourths of the interest &C
cruing on the principal fund to be
paid in cash annually to the Indians
and one fourth to be used annually
exclusively for the establishment and
maintenance OF a system OF free
schools among the Indians and for
their benefit until the free school
system of the state was extended so
as to provide school facilities for the
children of the Indians and white
settlers alike, the pricipal fund to
members uf the Chippewa tribe and
in utter disregard Of said agreement
with the Indians it has been better
than thirty years since such agree
ment was entered into and no tan
allotment has been made to an In
dian residing on the reservations and
the Indian bureau has been obtaining
from congress alrge sums out of the
trust funds of the Indian upon the
assumption that the entire member
ship of the Chippewa tribe, number
ing about $4,000, were incompetent
and incapable of managing their
own affairs and that it was necessary
for the government to maintain six
agencies among the Indians with a
large force of employees to properly
protect and safeguard their property
rights.
Mr.. Beaulieu showed that this
! movement would be- instrumental in
the opening and settlement of from
| two to three hundred thousand acres
of fine agricultural lands and, that in
addition it means the Establishment
of new towns and better conditions
generally for the Indians"
1t is a pleasure to note that the
real and unqualified freedom of the
| American Indians in our section Of
the state is at hand, and that the
"ward' system Of the greatest of and
| only Americans are to be lifted at
last. AS far as the Red Lake In
dams are concerned their freedom
cannot come to soon!
Miss Caroline Larson, a sister of
Mrs. Olaf Engen Of this place arrived
Monday evening for visit with
them.
From Herman C. Rydeen's farm
east of town, Mr. J. J. Opsahl and