The Tomahawk., 1919-05-01

that if alIotments were made or
given to them. they would be at
the mercy of land sharks and
grafters who are only waiting for.
the chance to take everything
away from the Indian, leaving him
a pauper all the rest of his life.
AS a result of this statement, the
judges of the court decided that
the improved part of the tract of
land in dispute, which comprises a
field, house. baro and one or two
outbuildings, should go to tho
original claimant of the land and
the sugar oush 60 to the intruder.
Thus it will be seen that such d
condition of affairs prevailing
among the Red Lake Band will
remain 50 as long as the officials in
charge are opposed to carrying
out the existing laws, Eiving the
Indians ON the Red Lake reserva-
ton their allotments of land in
severalty. The Red Lake Indians
will also remain unsatisfed, they
will be in constant turmoil and
strife for what they claim to own
in common until such time that
allotments of land are given to
Them: There is also a feeling of
bitter jealousy among the Indians
of this reservation, either for the
accumulation of the things which
go to make fairly good living
and for popularity of leadership.
They resort to the most unscrupu-
lous methods to excel one another
for leadership and gain, and to
GET the fellow whom they do not
like, whether the fellow is deserv-
ing or not of their displeasure.
This cult aud demeanor of these
Indians is by no means inherited
but has been instilled into them b.
policies and methods of the Indian
Bureau through its employees and
the examples which have been
constantly in their midst through
these agents and care-takers.
1t can justly be said, that since
the man at the head OF this agency,
the superintendent, being limited
to the narrow sphere of Bureau
cratic and Departmental rules and
regulations, has chosen path
which will ever sustain the dc
moralizing influence of the Indian
Bureau and thus keep the Indians
in ignorance of their rights to
possess individual property and
thereby deprive them of the sacred
privileges of citizenship and the
right to become self-snpporttng
and self-respecting people. The
attitude of the Superintendent in
denouncing the making of allot-
ments to the Red Lake Band, is
shallow and without merit and is
contrary not only to law but to the
best interests of a people, for so
long as the policy of segregation is
continued over Indians, just so
long will they remain incompe.
tents. No race of people under
the sun kept segregated and dom
mated by departmental supervision
can make the progress they should.
For thirty years the government
by its segregation policy and
minute supervision has absolutely
failed, and the Red Lake Indians,
through no fault of their own, are
practically where they were forty
years ago. This condition of
affairs will continue as long as the
department persists in the folly of
segregation and minute supervis-
ion of these Indians.
The Withholding of allotments to
these Indians is controlled by some
motive which is well calculated to
encourage the continuation of In
dian tribal life which in itself
| breeds only idTeness, pauperism
and incompetency. The law gov
erning alIotments to these Indians
is plain, the Superintendent in
; stead of resisting allotting should
al