The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1921-08-18
Indians Demands !.
Termed Impossible.

whole matter before the Court of
Claims, said the commissioner. 1t
will always be- impossible to satisfy
all Of the Indians, he declared.
"A considerable amount of con
fusion and turmoil exists today"
he said. 1T arises largely from
the conflict between the In
dams of pure blood and those of
mixed blood. Both have organ
ICED councils and are fighting each
other. The mixed clan have by
far the majority.
''Several millions Of dollars, a
considerable amount OF timber on
the Red Lake reservation, and
some swamp lands are the stakes.
The state of Minnesota is also
involved and before we are through
with it, we may also have to get a
judgment against the state" ~
The above from the St. Paul
Pioneer Press of recent date which
quotes Commissioner Charles H.
Burke on his arrival in Duluth or
the 9Th inst, should be of great
interest to the Minnesota Chippe-
was, as it sets out toe views Of
the newly appointed commissioner
regarding the trust funds and
other matters pertaining to Chip
pewa Indian affairs. Commissioner
Burke,s statements and ideas, &C.
cording to the Twin City press, is
in direct contrast to the policy
followed by the Indian Bureau
during the past administration.
Last winter, under Commits
sioner Sells administration, the
Indian Bureau prepared a bill
which proposed to make a per
capita payment to the Minnesota
Chippewas of $500, and which was
to be made as a sort of settlement
with the Chippewa people. After
reading Commissioner Burke's
statements regarding the trust
funds of the Chippewas, it can be
readily seen that this bill was only
bluff ON the part of the Indian
Bureau who knew at the time that
no such distribution of the trust
funds could be lawfully made to
the Chippewas. The bill was sent
to many Indians throughout the
Chippewa country and was pub
lished in several of the papers in
the northern part of the state. The
officials of the Indian Bureau were
without doubt just as conversant
with the law relating to the trust
funds If the Chippewas as Com
missioner Burke is, and consc-,
quently never expected or even
urged the passage of the bill, but
prepared it and sent it broadcast
among the Chippewas in order to
mislead them into believing that
they we're to get such payment.
When nothing more was heard of
the proposed pay ment it gradually
got circulated around that it was
the General Council, whose repre-
were then in Washing
ton, who had opposed the payment
and that that was the reason it was
not forthcoming. 1t is now be-
lieved that this was Just what the
Indian Bureau disired, as it placed
the General Council in q bad light
the Chippewa people and
caused factional feelings among
them owing to the reported OPP
position of the Council regarding
the payment. N:-:.
Commissioner Burke so far has
been very frank and honest with
the Chippewas, this was demon
strated during his recent visit to
this reservation, when he stated
some very plain facts at the meet.
ing held here at Mat time, among
which was the question of who
was responsible for the education
Of the children of all those who
came within the purview of the
Clapp Act of 1906, and which
question was brought up by Mr..
Brewer, representing the Child /