The Tomahawk., 1921-06-09
No Changes in Evidence
Yet.
Same old Army Of Employees Under
the Sells Administration Continue to
Hold Sway Here Under the new
incumbent.

With the advent of the new ad-
ministration and the ousting of
Cato Sells as Commissioner of In.
dian Affairs, and the appointment
of former Congressman Charles
Burke of South Dakota to that
office, the Chippewas of Minnesota
looked forward to better days in
the administration of their affairs
by the Federal government, and
especially as pertains to the White
Earth reservation, but, sad to re
late there have been no apparent
changes made: here at least. This
is no doubt due to the influence of
the hold-overs still in the Indian
Office at Washington. We lave
every confidence in Com missioner
Burke and feel that when he has
had sufficient time to readjust
things in general the Indian people
will get justice at his hands. When
the campaign was waxing warm
last fall, a delegation of Indians,
representing many different tribes,
called on President Harding at his
home in Marion, Ohio, with the
view of securing some pledge
from the then candidate for the
presidency, and the party he rep
resents, that would justify the In
dams throughout the country in
casting there vote for the Republi
can party. President Harding at
that time made the following
solemn promise to the delegation
and to. the Indian people: 1
think we will agree about one basic
principle, that the American In.
dian is az much entitled to square
deal as anybody else>in this Re-
public, and if we are called to
responsibility he will get it. While
we are talk ing about democracy
and human rights, l think we had
better bestow them on the native
American rather than sacrificing
American lives in trying to bestow
it thousands of miles across the
sea. l believe in bestowing them
on Americans first. You take this
message back to your people from
me: whether l am elected to the
presidency or not, l will: still be d
member of the Senate for a little
while, and l will be glad to add
nv voice and efforts to see that
the Indian gets a square deal. ~ 1t
was owing to this promise, coming
direct from the chief executive,
and many more of like nature
from lesser lights in the Republi.
can party, that Indians throughout
the country stood by that party to
a man and cast their votes, both
men an women, for. President
Harding and other Republican
leaders. But UP to this time these
promises have been sadly over
looked. H. @~~-# j..
While the closing of the board
ing school and agency hospital here
last July did away with a large
number of employees heretofore
employed in these two institutions,
the large force of employees in the
Agency office here are still hold
ing down their old jobs notwith-
standing the fact that they are at a
loss most of the time to find some
thing to do so that they may give
the impression of being very busy.
The work in the agency Office here
at present consists chiefly of sitting
around and waiting for the inherit
ance department. at the Office to
determine the heirs of some de-
ceased allottee, when this is done
the force of clerks, stfnographers,
Ietc., proceed, with the usual un-
winding of governmental red tape,
to pay any moneys on deposit