Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-06-13
OPENCAh[PACN
TO ORGANIZE \.
1000 INDIANS
New Association Will Pro
!. mote General Welfare
. Of Indians.

MILL. June
M5the general. council of the state Of
hinnesota which is recognized BY the
federal Indian bureau, Joe Northrup
pf Duluth, q Carlisle graduate, who Is
Known to the Indians as Chief Wan-
abasha, has opened an individual
eempAtgn to organize 1000 Chippe-
VA Indians in the Lake SuperiorNdis-!
ftet into an association intended to
promote the general. welfare OF the
|ribe.
From time to time Chief wana.
pasho calls several Indians down
from the reservations, stages rehear:
sails of tribal dances and takes his
troupe on periodical tours OF towns,
cities and reservations in the Interest
Of the organization.
ton granting competent members of
the tribe citizenship and the many lib
critics which would go with it, is the
object of the campaign. More than
100000 OF the tribal funds are held
by the federal Indian bureau, which,
at this time, really should be dis
tributed in accordance with the pro-
visions Of various final treaties, Chief
.Wanabasho declared.
Chief Wanabasho painted a word
picture of the ever-friendly Chip
tewas striving to go ahead as q ma
Jon, to become educated in the ways
p h white brother; pleading to be
kranted privileges of their " lands;
asking no favors, but only seeking
what is r%ightfully theirs. being held
back through Indifferent legislation.
Ehich. if supplemented by laws. ia
vorable to the tribe. would mark not
only nan milestones in the progress
ssof the Indians but more SO would
pave the way for addition of a valu-
able asset to the nation.
Born Near Duluth.
Chief wanabasho (Mystic God) was
born in a wikwam near Duluth In
1881, ana later adopted the name Joe
Forthrup. He "a graduated from
St Johns academy, Minneapolis, and
from Carlisle university in 1910. At
the latter institution he a a close
friend OF Jim Thorpe, noted Indian
athlete. Chief WAnAbAsho also wa.
. member OF, the champion Carlisle
football team. :
The chief contends that fully IS
per cent of the Chippewas are COM
petent and could pass the citizenship
examination. The other I'VE per cen,
are old people. he said.
That the Chippewas are thoroughly
5SU&AP0G0Ab AAA 0Nl0 " ALL0AN " LAN1I
own affairs is proved, the chief as.
serted, through the fact that only $1l
4 year, the present allowance, is dis.
,t1b1ted to each individual. IF they
weren't competent and able to care
: for themselves. they most assuredls
would have a hard time surviving OF
SIS q year Chief Wauabasho DE-
clared.
Two thousand young man Ia Chip.
pewas were in the serv1ce durtns thu
war. More than half Of them enlist
ed. Those who were indicted did no
claim exemption because they wer'
not citizens. the chief pointed ont.
Shameful neglect Is the wa.
dhisf Wanahaahos characterized attan
Ion the government had given thes
indian braves who, after Axht1ng 70
he nation, have been denied thet
state bonuses, because they r no
cittzens.'
y, In the opinion Of the chief tn
tChippewas as a nation have either 90
to go. downward or advance. The.
desire to advance, he said, but in thei
present handcufed stage are unabl
to make p%erceptfble progress.
Wanabasho explained a point b.
stating that where an ordinary per
!. son, whether he be a citizen or not
could take up a claim in the nortl
woods IN the territory originally own
ed by the Chippewas. and make a II,
ling, the Indian, because of certain re
s%trictions would 'starve to DEATH" I
this case, he said, the white ma
while clearing his land for CROP
would make a living from handlin
forest products. the Indian. who
forbidden to cut trees. and is. furthe
"handcuffed" Aby government regula
tons disfavoring dealings by whit
men w~fth@Indians in timber productl
would be forced to vacAte his CLAIM
By ORGANISING the tribe into a pc,
+. manent organization Chief Wanna
basho believes natural means Will b
provided whereby congress may b
xproperly convinced that the ChiI