The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1920-11-25


which fund is deposited to their
credit in the United States Treas
ury, which fund is a trust vested
in the Government, and which
condition is unfortunate for the
Indians; that the Government, at
the instance of thu Indian Bureau
has, annually for the past thirty
years or more, appropriated vast
sums from this fund, exceeding the
enormous sum of $4,000, 000. And
it is to be deplored that the major
portion of this vast sum has been
mostly Employed to defray admin
istrative affairs of the Chippewas
aforesaid and only paltry portion
assigned for actual ''relief'' of the
said Chippewas. Among other
material provided by the Indian
Bureau, purchased with funds
exacted from the Chippewa tribal
fund, may be enumerated pork,
-four, sugar, etc. And it may he
interesting to know that 'rations"
from the Agency warehouses have
not always been exclusively
issued for the relief of ''des-
titute and needy Indians, -
but, if reports are true, they
have played very important
part in promoting the degenerate
policies of the Indian Bureau
in the past; have contribut-
ed in no small degree: to
the convenience, comfort and
"relief'' of those in charge of
Agency affairs and their subordin-
ates. During the regime of the
present administration the super
visory head and his immediate
retinue in Office have been provid->
ed in addition to fat salaries the
comforts and luxury of modern
homes, including fuel, water,
light and, if reports are true,
pianos,: and messengers and others
occupying sinicure positions have
been permitted to enjoy the relief
of the bounty available in tho
| Agency warehouses and, ofttimes
when needy and destitute Indians
were craving for food to appease
theirs and their children's hunger.
Pleading for morsels of food pur-
chased and paid for with money
|exacted proportionately from each
and every member of the Mime
sofa Chippewa Indians. For shame
that such lax administration of q
helpless peoples affairs should
find countenance under a Demo-
cratic form of Government. Such
contemplate treatment as, at vari-
ous times, has been oracticed on
the Chippewas in general, especi-
ally in the management of their
affairs, by the Indian Bureau, ap.
proaches seriously close to GRIM
inal negligence.
The conventions of the Town
Board of White Earth, Becker
county, Minnesota, are to effect,
that as long as the Government
insists in favoring the demands of
the Indian Bureau of appropriate
ing vast sums of money annually
from the Minnesota Chippewa In
dian tribal fund, under the covert
pretext of relief and civilization
ndemploying portions of these
appropriations in stocking agency
warehouses at Red Lake, Leech
Lake and other Minnesota so called
agencies, especially the former
agency mentienen aud where q
small population Of the Minnesota
Chippewas reside and, by-the-way,
where tho only Minnesota Chippe-
was reside who have not yet been
given allotments of land aud not
outstanding the significant fact
that these same Indians should
have been allotted lands thirty one
or more years ago and as stipulat-
ed in the Legislation of 1889, 25th
stats. e42. This small band Of
unallotted Indians have been
babied and pampered greatly to