The Tomahawk., 1920-10-07

the turning IN OF cattle upon inc
lands without leases; the destruc-
ton of the gardens and hay lands
used by the Indian owners; the
failure to pay either rent or dam
ages. The result is want, hunger,
sickness and death. Because of this
ruthless exercise of power by the
Indian Bureau many Indians are
without homes and are forced to
leave the reservation and their
lands to work for the necessities of
life. If rent or damages have been
paid for the lands the Indians have
not received it.
Mead Steele is Sioux Indian of
the Fort Peck reservation in Mon
tana. He is an allottee of land up
on that reservation. He wears
stripes showing two years over
seas service and was in fact twenty
six months in France with the First
Division. He also wears the French
regimental fourragere which. SO
many of the First Division had
conferred upon him. While this
soldier was in France his land was
leased under this policy adopted
by the Indian Bureau. Without
his knowledge or consent the sup
erintendent in charge of the Fort
Peck reservation signed a lease for
his land to the Montana Farming
Corporation. When he returned TO
I bis reservation he was informed,
by :his superintendent, that the
land was leased and in the possess
sion Of the Corporation and that he
could not do anything. That the
lease was made under orders Of
the Indian Bureau and that the In
dian Bureau would back it up. He
was further directed by the super
intendent not to consult with the
attorney in town as everything
would be done for him, without
cost, by himself aud the Indian
Bureau. This soldier, being in
need Of money, his land leased for
a term Of years without his kaowl:
edge or consent, sought the super
intendent to have paid to him h;s>
per capita share Of the money that
was soon to be paid to all members
Of the tribe. This the superinten
dent refused to do, although be:
advanced the payment to other In
dams who were not in as much
need as this man. Then he advised
him to sign the lease CT the land
which the superintendent had made
to the Corporation, and take the
rent money which the, superinten-
dent was ready to pay him. Under
these circumstances this Indian
soldier, member of the First Di-.
vision of the American Army, was
induced by his superintendent to
sign the lease for his lands.
Other Indian soldiers of the
Fort Peck Reservation, overseas
men who saw service at the front,
asked for patents in fee for their
lands. This the superintendent re-
fused to give them, or to recon-
mend them in any way. 49,
William Brown, = Winnebago
Indian, was discharged from the
Army because of disability. He is
in need and sick-being tubercular.
He cannot work because of bis
sickness. He and his sister, Doris
Brown, are the only heirs of their
father. About ten years ago mis-
fake was made in an heirship hear
ing Involving their rights to the
estate inherited from their father.
1t is still under consideration by
the Indian Bureau and the heir
ship court which they have for de-
laying and holding up Indian lands
and money. 1t is the means of basis
of the claim of right to. lease, or
otherwise dispose of, Indian inter-
ests in lands, which some superiu-
tendent wishes to turn over to
some favored corporation or in,
diyidual. It is one of the excuses
now offered for the lease made on