Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1920-12-08
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that she was 50 years old. She talked
through an interpreter. Some Of the
Indians in the court room have long
hair and are really picturesque.
It is a question how long the hearing
will last, but the grand jury for the
regular term is to be charged at ?
o'clock.
The number Of full bloods shown by
the roll is only about three hundred
out of total of nearly six thousand
people on the reservation. 80 -
The necessity for an official roll is
brought about by the complications fol-
lowing the passage Of the Clapp amend
ment to the Indian act and the land
sales that followed it's adoption. The
Clapp amendment allowed mixed blood
to sell their lands, but forbade full
bloods to make such sales, the theory
being that full blood Indian is too
much of child to handle his own
affairs and is properly a ward Of the
United States government. Following
the passage of the act, there was a
rush to buy the lands. Some of them
were rich in pine, and the lumber
companies were looking for pine.
Others were valuable agricultural
lands. The Indian takes little thought
Of the morrow, and has no great con-
ception of values: 1t is claimed that
in their desire to get something at
once, they let 60 Of the lands at figures
that were in some instances absurdly
low
At this point, the government stepped
dred suits against the purchasers Of
the lands, claiming that the Indians
who had sold them were full bloods
and had no right. to sell: These suits
have been pending in court here for a
great many years, but are now largely
settled. In some instances the govern
ment recovered lands and in some it
settled with the purchasers who Sc
cured clear title by paying an addition
al amount. Officials estimate that the
value Of the lands recovered in these
suits and the additional amounts paid
by, the purchasers amounts to more
than one million dollars. Some suits
were Of course lost by the government
on the ground that the parties selling
the lands were mixed bloods and there
fore had right to sell.
The objections now being raised to
the toll come from two sources. First
there are those classed as mixed bloods
who wish to be considered full blOods
They allege that they, wish to be full
blood Indians as matter of sentiment
in some instances, but their chances Of
securing land are also. better as full
bloods than as mixed bloods. All of
those who sold lands made affidavit
that they were mixed bloods at the
time Of selling and all testified that
they were full bl0ods when the suits
were brought to recover. Some of them
admitted in court, in most matter of
fact way, that they lied in order to
sell their lands and get the purchase
price. The objections now raised are
all raised to the mixed blood status.
On the other side of the case are a
large number Of land purchasers who
ask that the rolls be confirmed as pre-
pared, and object to the DIRECTORS being
classed as mixed bloods. They set
forth that if the court holds them
mixed bloods, it will cloud the title to
the land which they have bought from
them, and for which they have paid
additional amounts in settlement with
| the government. -