The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-07-08
One Council Meets at Ball Club
and Other at Btemidji
ss<Z ON July IS = -
CONTROVERSIES HAVE
? ARISEN OVER PROPERTY
Work Of Legislative Commit.
f tees in Washington Will
(. Be Discussed >2s'*.

53WOA ID p1cSluSAksSa NWllVSS 1uculOcIS5
claim to be full blooded Indians, will
meet at Ball Club on tuesday, July
ID, in annual session, while the other,
known as the General Council but as
yet not incorporated, with John G.
Morrison Of Red Lake as president,
will meet at Bemidji on the same
date. The latter council is commonly
known as the mixed bloods and is
composed almost entirely of members
drawing; allotments on the. White
Earth reservation. 49,, = -.
: Mr.: Morrison declares that most of
h the session at the Bemidji meeting
will be spent in discussing the work
accomplished by the legislative com
mittees in Washington, D. C. This
committee has been interested in the
Ellsworth bill, which tends to wind
upS the Chippewas' estate in Mime
sofa and put an end to the numerous
controversies which have arisen over
the manner in which the various
funds should be handled = -
The Chippewa General Council
claims that the Red Lake reservation
belongs to the Minnesota ChippeWas
as q whole, willis the Red Lake In
& dams claim that their band alone is
entitled to the property eor the pro-
ceeds from the sale of the property.
!. This matter will in time be settled
by the United States court of claims.
/ Another argument has arisen over the
question of whether or not the Red
Lake lands which have not already
been allotted to the Indians should be
allotted at this time. The Red Lakers
claim that their reservation should be
subject to allotment to 1,40O Indians
in their band, but the opposing fac
!, ton Of the Chippewas holds that their
allotment should cover only 224,000
acres at the rate of 100 acres for
each, and that the remainder should
either be sold and the, proceeds be
placed in the general Chippewa fund
or that the land should be placed as
an asset to the general fund. The
Red Lakers insist that this is their
property and that any proceeds should
be divided up among their own men,
bers. The Red Lake Indians have at
no time received any special benefit
from the White Earth reservation,
but under this plan the; White Earth
Indians would receive approximately
so per cent Of the proceeds from the
sale Of the surplus land at Red Lake,
since, approximately 60 per cent of
the @Chippewas on the rolls reside on
the White Earth reservation. About
100000 acres Of land and 800 mil
lion feet of timber of all grades would
Ebe included in the amount which the
General Council believes should be
turned into the. general fund from the
Red Lake district. In addition to this,
it insists that all forests reserves in
the vicinity of Cass, Lake and Boy
River territory,should be turned back
to the Chippewas. by the federal gov
ernments and that the proceeds, from
this property which would aggregate
approximately II million dollars, be
turned into the general fund. With
the swamp lands which it also be-
lieves should be turned back to the
Chippewas and the proceeds added to
the general fund, this makes a total
Of practically $25,000,000 involved
in the controversy. =
!. The council, meeting at this city,
will undoubtedly do all in, its power
: to provide. for the carrying out Of
the plans according to the Ellsworth
bill, while the council at Ball Club
will make every effort to defeat the
plans of the opposing faction. E.