The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-08-11
HEAD OF INDIAN
DEPARTMENT HERE
COMMISSIONER BURKE VISITS
AGENCY-GIVES LOCAL
INDIANS HEARING

Commissioner Chas. H. Burke OF
Pierre, S. D., who few months ago
was appointed by President Harding
to succeed Cato Sells as head of the
Indian department visited the Fort
Peck reservation this week and was
at the Wolf Point sub-agency today.
The Commissioner was accompanied
by his secretary, Mr.. Roberts, also
Supt. James B. Kitch, Mr.. Peacore,
Joe Culbertson, B. F. Roth and others
from Poplar.
An open air meeting was held at
the sub-agency to give the Indians
an opportunity to make known their
opinions and complaints on all mat
ters relating to the reservation. Mr..
Burke gave them two hours and
dozen or more af the prominent In
dians spoke, including Joshua Wetsit,
Martin Mitchell, Clinton Fisk, Sail
ing Hawk and Bear Cub. The Indian
orators spoke well, lining up their
arguments cleverly and in forceful
language. They brought up many
matters in which they thought they |
were not getting their just dues. |
They were against any reappraise-
ment of the reservation lands, unless
it was higher appraisement. They
thought that many sources of income
for the Indian fund were not yield
ing what was coming to them. When
the railroad was built across the res
ervation they had understood that
they would have free rides any place
on the reservation. They thought the
southern boundary of the reservation
reached to the middle of the Missouri
but they received no revenue from {
the ferries that plyed their half. |
Land was taken for roads without re-
imbursement, likewise for telephone t
lines. Times had been hard, they G
said, the whites could hardly live so t
how could the Indians? They need t
ed the money from all sources from p
which it was due. These were only e
a few of the matters brought up. e
Commissioner Burke gave close at Il
tention while Supt Kitch introduced a
the speakers and the grievances were b
then he made his reply.
AS an introduction he said he had liv-
I'd among Indians much of his life in
and had observed them in many parts NJ
If the country but he had never seen 81
my who looked better to him than b,
hose before him, in the particulars
\ heaich' clo'iiiiis anu general maj hs de
# prosperity. If some were poor, n
ONE of the whites were quite as :,
much So What helped the whites,
elped the Indians, what helped the j,
indians helped the whites, the situa-
ion called for intelligent co-opera-
ion. AS to the building of roads
he Indians should welcome them,
or roads increased the value of their
ands. If roads were built off the
ection lines the owners were entitl-
to pay for the land used.
The Missouri river, said the Com
issioner, belonged to the govern
ent of the United States, no one
Sc could control or have monopoly
it. He said he had no control of R,1
lie appraising of the land, only Con- at
.ess could do that. So far as he had Tn,
zen able to form an opinion he was an,
1T in favor of any reappraisement. No
While commissioner he would use cd
his power and ability to. bring Th
,out a fair and just administration ino
all affairs of the department. If Fal
failed to make good someone else tho
ould succeed him. The department !
S chosed Supt. Kitch for his po knr
ion on account of his experience The
d proven ability and because they tim
d confidence in him, but if he file
ould not make good it would not +;o,
ke long to find another man to take fan
!, place. frie
After coming into town Mr.. Burke enti
d a short visit with a group of will
est